


Snowells on Point

by TrinityRose



Category: The Flash
Genre: Canon Divergence, Drama, F/M, Romance, Snowells, filling in holes, snowells canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-03-16 08:00:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 133,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13632087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrinityRose/pseuds/TrinityRose
Summary: Everything the show failed to provide. Every single excruciatingly delicious detail of snowells that should have been a thing since season 2.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I made the decision to rewrite the show in order to fit into our precious snowells. Though this is mostly canon, you can expect a lot of filling up plot holes and adding new scenes with twisting those we already have. I will do my best to make this an interesting and surprising reading despite the canon base, so I hope you will enjoy it : ) And even if not, I have to do this for myself : )  
> Promotional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuabGgj9cfI

_There is an entire multiverse of Caitlins Snow out there, yet none of those women are me. Despite the existence of my doppelgangers, I'm still the one and only as are all the others. There is also another version of you out there, multiple yous for that matter, but they're_ not _you. Not really. There are at least fifty Harrisons Wells, too, but only one is mine. Only one of them is the one I truly love and would not know how to live without. And it could've been so close. I might've not even gotten to know him at all. All I knew at the beginning was the version that lived on my Earth._

 _I have lived many years so far and there are probably more still ahead, but I can tell you right now with perfect clarity that once you find love, true love, the kind that not only seems to bind you physically to someone, but also binds your_ souls _, you should hold on to it. No matter what. Life is messy and complicated and yes, mostly it's just painful. We get hurt, we suffer, we grow, we get stronger, we learn. But it's also extraordinary, amazing and yes,_ epic _._

_This is mine. This is my story, but I'm sure you have one that is just as equally terrifying and beautiful and full of feelings. We all have it. Because we're all just humans who try to do their best even though it doesn't always work that way._

_So, are you ready for this?_

* * *

"Dr. Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon… meet dr. Harrison Wells… from Earth Two," Barry finished with the proper introductions and Caitlin could just stand there frozen, staring at the face of the man that had died. A man that had meant so much to her once.

The moment she saw him in the cortex she truly thought she was hallucinating and she wanted to ask her friends whether they saw him as well. Yet, before she managed to find her tongue and remember how to speak, Barry introduced them all and there was silence.

Caitlin wasn't new to multiverse. She'd found out about it the moment the first breach was opened and she had been studying it in her free time ever since. Still, she'd never before met a person who actually came from one of those different, yet probably so similar in the same time, worlds. And that first person being Harrison Wells… it was all a little too much. The man she saw standing right in front of her, breathing and talking and… actually _walking_ , though she knew now that the inability dr. Wells had suffered from had nothing to do with the accident that had allegedly left him crippled; that man looked just the same. Only then, as she kept on staring, she could actually see the small differences. His style, the hair that grew longer than dr. Wells had ever let it, the messy locks sticking out in all directions, the way he looked back at her… It was all different.

Her mind was doing its best to register that this man was a complete stranger to her, yet she couldn't seem to just separate those two because of the memories rushing back to her head the moment she laid her eyes on him…

* * *

_Few years prior_

Dr. Harrison Wells recruited Caitlin Snow straight from college. She didn't have to apply for a job at S.T.A.R. Labs nor did she have to look over all of her options even though deep down inside her heart she knew there was always only one choice and that was the place she eventually ended up in. The man was known for his unusual recruiting tactics, so having that in mind, Caitlin did her very best at college at the cost of her social life which was almost non-existent as she kept on studying hard, finishing high school years ahead of her peers and then already doing her doctorates and a PhD. She might've hoped to attract someone's attention with her talent and maybe then work her way up until she would be able to get a job at S.T.A.R. Labs, but never in her wildest dream she could foresee Harrison Wells actually reaching out to her so early and offering that dream job to her.

It was the beginning of the worst and the best thing that had ever happened to her.

Once the offer was made, Caitlin was too excited to even contain herself, acting all jumpy and awkward during the whole interview, yet, she did land the position. There must've been something dr. Wells saw in her all along as he later on revealed to her in confidence that the whole job interview was merely a formality. The truth was that he wanted her to work for him ever since he'd heard of her accomplishments in college.

That first memorable day he welcomed her warmly in her lab – she still couldn't truly believe she had an _entire_ lab at her disposal! – he told her, "Remember, Caitlin, a scientist's work is never finished." She actually carried that sentence – because it wasn't really an advice, was it? – during all the time she spent working for him.

With dr. Wells everything was always unusual - from the way he offered her the job to the way they were with each other, because what was between them seemed to be far more than just a casual work relationship. It wasn't romantic, oh no, but there was most definitely _something_ there. They quickly became good friends and whenever Caitlin felt lost or was simply frustrated with a project that didn't exactly go as planned, he was always there to offer a good word of encouragement. What mattered to her the most was that he _believed_ in her and never stopped, even when she gave him no reasons to. He believed and maybe that was exactly why in the end she always came through somehow, achieving, yet, another great thing.

And then she met Ronnie and everything seemed to have changed.

Raymond worked really hard to get Caitlin's attention, seeing that she was way too close with the boss than was considered normal, but in the same time deducing they didn't have an affair. Which was strange, because the first time he saw them together he was so jealous that it almost drove him mad.

It took him months to finally break through the wall Caitlin had seemed to have built around her heart and she finally agreed to go out with him. Things after that escalated pretty quickly as he was the fire to her ice, always convincing her to do something exciting, something new. She even liked that, though at first he thought she'd simply kill him. He made her feel alive again by taking her scuba diving or bungee jumping and despite her hating all those extremities at first, she was incredibly brave and in the end she was always happy, drunk on the adrenaline it gave her.

Caitlin getting closer to Ronnie kind of drove a wedge between her and her boss, which couldn't have worked out better for Raymond if somebody asked him. Then Cisco Ramon joined the team and they all quickly became best friends, leaving dr. Wells behind, buried in his own lab and actually disappearing on them more and more often. He was so invested in the particle accelerator and seemed so distant that Caitlin even begun to worry about him. It was Ronnie who advised that she should stick to her own work and just let the man be. After all, dr. Wells was her _boss_ , not her best friend, nor mentor or father figure and as hell not a potential boyfriend material. Though, of course he did leave that last one out, still noticing how she cringed at the word _father_.

Despite it all, in the end Ronnie got Caitlin to agree to marry him and they were on their merry way to a happy ending when he finally saw it again. By now he knew Caitlin didn't have any romantic feelings for her boss, but as the accelerator was ready and the job was done, he caught Wells looking in her direction more often than it was acceptable and that bothered him as hell.

Yet, soon enough he didn't even have the time to worry about _that_ since there was a loud bang and everything went to hell.

* * *

Despite her own personal tragedy, Caitlin was there for dr. Wells through thick and thin.

She was the first person to come visit him in the hospital after the accident, getting there with her face still puffy from all the crying over Ronnie's death. She was there to hold his hand when it seemed like he was going to break because he couldn't walk anymore. He actually turned his face away from her then, desperate to hide all the emotions playing on it, but he still let her hold his hand. In fact, he held it right back and so strongly that she was afraid it would ache later on when he would finally let go. But she was there. She wanted to show him that she was still standing by his side even though no one else would. He was a pariah in this city, all his employees and all the sponsors retreating, finding other jobs and abandoning the sinking ship that was S.T.A.R. Labs, but Caitlin and Cisco never did. Her own career and reputation meant nothing to her at the moment as she lost _everything_ she could've ever dreamt of. And _Ronnie_. Ronnie was gone as well. Her father was long dead, too; her relationship with her mother nearly nonexistent, so she had nowhere to go. All she had left were the two friends she hoped she made for life – dr. Wells and Cisco.

So she stayed. And she was there when dr. Wells finally returned to the Labs that now stood abandoned. She saw the disappointment and pain on his face that he still tried to hide and almost succeeded. But not from her. She knew him all too well by then.

She was there when he nearly screamed in frustration, not able to walk anymore and having to depend on his electric wheelchair.

She was there when suddenly life seemed to return to him and he told her with enthusiasm in his voice that she hadn't heard for weeks that they needed to head to the hospital because there was a man needing their help there.

She was there when they transported Barry Allen to the Labs. She was actually the one monitoring his vitals and trying to figure out why he wasn't waking up whereas Cisco was working on a supersuit for the firefighters, still believing the Labs might eventually be redeemed.

And finally, it wasn't just that Caitlin was there for dr. Wells. It was that he was there for _her,_ too. He always offered her a shoulder to cry on when losing Ronnie seemed unbearable. He was always there to urge her forward, to tell her that life would go on and she would find happiness again.

He was just _there_.

* * *

After Barry woke up, things seemed to have gotten back to normal. Life actually started to go on. Before that happened, Caitlin had felt as though stuck in place, as though the time wasn't moving forward at all and once she saw what Barry could actually do, once she realized that maybe something _good_ came out of the particle accelerator explosion, she actually felt hope and smiled for the very first time since she'd lost everything. It just so happened that she smiled so brightly to dr. Wells and the look she saw in his eyes made her feel all strange inside. She remembered how Ronnie had always teased her that she was so oblivious to Wells having feelings for her, which she always dismissed with a smile, but now… now she just started wondering whether that was actually true. And maybe whether she should be careful. She did care about dr. Wells and a lot, that was no secret, but having actual romantic feelings for the man? She didn't think so. And it wasn't even because he was so much older than she herself was. She wouldn't have a problem with that since her father was fifteen years older than her mother as they were brought together by their love for science, her being a young promising talent and him interested in her brilliance, kindness and beauty. Caitlin sometimes tried to imagine her mother as young and actually _nice_ since the woman she'd become after dad died… The discovery actually froze Cait to the bone as exactly _that_ happened to her after Ronnie, she suddenly realized. Then again, she hadn't alienated herself, she let her friends help her and now, as Barry joined their team and gave them hope for a better tomorrow, she could feel herself getting back to her normal old self. She was getting back to the brilliant and nice and caring person she'd used to be. She just didn't exactly see herself becoming something more to Harrison Wells than his friend. Not that she would admit that to anyone, but there was always something off about him. She did respect him and like him and even _love_ him, but not in _that_ way. There was just something about him that she couldn't quite figure out. Some mystery, a secret, something that he just locked her out of and it wasn't the tragic history of his own love life as his wife, Tess, had died years before he even met Cait. It was something _else_ , she could tell.

* * *

It was a horrible twist of fate, indeed, Caitlin thought when she found Ronnie just to lose him all over _again_. And this time it wasn't even because he had to get away. This time he truly _died_.

Yet, this wasn't even the thing that struck her the most.

She was actually ashamed to admit that to anyone, but when Ronnie turned out to be very much alive and just metahuman; when they helped him get back to his normal self – well, more or less – being with him didn't feel like something Caitlin _felt_ was the right thing to do anymore. It was more like a duty, a promise she'd once made and needed to fulfill. She did marry him, yes, but the ugly truth was that she _knew_ deep down inside she was only holding on to who she and Ronnie had used to be. And they'd changed over the last year a lot. She'd gone to hell and back, arriving at her destination as a completely new person and Ronnie, well, Ronnie _was_ actually his old self with the slight difference that he had superpowers.

This was still haunting her now after his death. It felt like she failed him somehow. Like when she lost him the second time it didn't even hurt _that_ much anymore, like it was just moving on to another level. Was she _that_ cold? She wondered, actually shaking when coming back in her mind to the last conversation she'd had with dr. Wells – or maybe rather Eobard – she thought bitterly, now seeing that she'd had all those strange feelings about him for a reason. Maybe that was exactly why she could never return his? Because it wasn't _really_ Harrison Wells.

Still, she couldn't handle _that_ now when still working herself up over Ronnie. Because she couldn't seem to love him the way he deserved the second time. Or maybe she hadn't even done that the first time around? With Ronnie she'd been always trying to be someone she truly was not. She wasn't an adrenaline junkie or enthusiast. She'd let him take her to do all those crazy things because yes, she felt better afterwards, maybe she even felt more _alive_ , but wasn't simply love supposed to do that? Why did Cait constantly need to feel more, to feel more excited to be able to be with him? Or maybe she was just broken. Maybe she was different. Maybe after all, she _was_ her mother. Maybe time would tell… She just couldn't seem to think that somehow she let Ronnie down and that if he'd still been alive, their relationship might've actually not worked out in the end.

* * *

Finding out the real identity of dr. Wells was the worst.

Caitlin had invested so much into this man. She stood by his side no matter what and regardless of what people were saying about him. She vowed to be there for him just like he was for her and for what? In the end, she was just another person he used in order to reach his goal, having assembled a team of the best specialists to build him a particle accelerator so he could cause its explosion, rendering their careers ruined.

Should she be surprised, even? She thought then, having a clear proof that the man had killed Barry's mother all those years ago; ruining, yet, another life. She was just one more casualty to the whole pile, wasn't she? And maybe if he hadn't recruited her, if he hadn't gotten so close to her and maybe if Ronnie hadn't _died_ the first time because of him, Caitlin wouldn't have changed so much and would've actually been happy with her husband? Or maybe she wouldn't have met him at all.

Too many maybes.

What hurt the most was that she seemed to be the only one standing by Wells's side nearly to the very end, believing in him stubbornly even when the evidence told her otherwise.

She didn't even know why she was torturing herself by entering the pipeline with the intention to talk to the man before Barry would go back in time to save his mother and send Eobard Thawne – because _that_ was truly his name – back to the future. What an irony. She could have this conversation now, but in a while she might actually have an entirely different life as a different Caitlin Snow who hadn't suffered so much. Maybe she would be a scientist in the Labs all the same, just with the slight difference that she would be working for the _real_ dr. Wells _._ Poor man, she thought, Eobard killed him in cold blood and then took over his body, his identity. She truly couldn't imagine a worse end to a life when death wasn't even the final step, but just the beginning of destroying someone's memory and legacy after they were gone.

"Oh, my dear, Caitlin," he welcomed her with a smile on his face. It was still strange, suddenly having to look up instead of down at him because he could clearly stand on his own feet now. She nearly forgot how tall he was. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."

"I almost didn't," she finally spoke, folding her arms across her chest as though she was trying to shield herself from the effect he still had on her. After all, his betrayal stung worse than anything she'd ever felt in her entire life.

"You know, I never wanted to hurt _you_ ," he said to her astonishment.

"But you did. There was never any escape from _that_ ," she reminded him coldly. Being this detached seemed like the only way to get through this conversation without breaking down in front of him and she wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"Oh, my dear, Caitlin," he repeated with a sign while taking off his glasses and looking down at the floor before raising his eyes to meet hers again. "You still don't understand. You were _always special_. _Different._ With you I could actually find myself begin to _feel_ again."

"But that still wasn't enough to stop and just stay here, was it?" she followed with.

He sighed again, then rubbed the bridge of his nose before putting the glasses back on.

"And here I thought I was doing such a great job at hiding it, but you were always brilliant, weren't you? And no, that wasn't enough, because I knew you could never love me. You couldn't love the me you used to know, so you would never love the real me either. But just so you know, Caitlin, you won't be happy with _him_ ," he then said.

"You mean Ronnie?" she still made sure, her own wedding fresh in her memory.

"You're lying to yourself. We both know he's not the man for you."

"And you are?" she decided to retaliate with.

To her surprise, he chuckled, shaking his head, "Oh, no, but it doesn't mean he's not somewhere out there."

"Ok, you know what? We're done here. I don't even know why I came here in the first place."

"Oh, that we both do know," he disagreed again and she just had to look at him. She always liked the blue of his eyes, so crystal clear as though she could read him easily, but in the end even that turned out to be a lie. She could never get deep enough to find out the truth about this man.

"You will come back to your future, our lives will just go on without you and we won't even miss you," she told him.

"You'll be _lost_ without me. You will soon forget your own potential. Mark my words, Caitlin. And you, above all, will _not_ be truly happy. Not until you find what you've been searching for all this time."

"And what is that exactly?" she tried one more time when turning back to him as she was already on her way out.

"You know it well yourself. It just might take you a little longer to get there as you're a married woman now. Wrong choice there. _Again_."

"I'm done listening to you," she decided just then, casting him one last glance before leaving.

And the worst part was that he was right. As Always. Go figure.

* * *

The next time Caitlin saw his face, it was his _real_ face. Eddie Thawne committed suicide, successfully removing Eobard Thawne from his future line of descendants. The real Eobard was equally tall but he was blond and his face was nothing like the one Caitlin used to know. In fact, he seemed like a complete stranger to her and maybe that was for the best. The Harrison Wells she'd known was a ghost to her and everyone around, dead before they even met him.

Now she was standing in the cortex, minus a mentor who turned out to be a fraud and a husband who died a hero _again_ ; looking at the face of the real Harrison Wells with the slight difference that the man had come from Earth Two and was a completely different person.

"Hi," he said after Barry introduced him and it was Cisco who actually responded first, Caitlin still rendered speechless, just buried in her own mind, immersed into her own thoughts.

Until Harrison Wells's eyes set on hers, that was and she noticed the familiar shade of blue she'd used to like so much in dr. Wells's pupils, but yet, this gaze was so different.

Because this man, no matter how familiar, was a complete stranger and somehow she just thought she was screwed once again by an unfortunate twist of fate.

Or maybe she should have known better than that, because this, this was just the beginning of the rest of her life and the answer to all of her problems. It was the answer Eobard Thawne had already predicted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you, guys, think? I've been toying with the idea for this story for quite some time now, promising to eventually do it and here we are. I only wrote this so early because of the break we now have from the show. The initial idea had me rewatching the first season, but I figured that would be a little too much if I wrote something about every single episode, especially when this is a Caitlin/Harry story, not Caitlin/Eobard and I wanted to make clear that Caitlin never really had any feelings towards Eobard. I didn't want Harry to seem to be a replacement, an echo of what was lost and could be fixed. I want them to have their own unique and amazing love story : )
> 
> Also, before I started writing snowells again, I thought I wouldn't write another fic in my life and now the ideas are just keep flooding my head and it's driving me crazy! The newest one is snowells AU student-teacher romance and meeting after years of being apart. And damn! The idea flourished so much that I am going to write that down and soon!
> 
> Not to mention the idea of Caitlin/Eobard other version of season one… damn it! It's all because of the Impossible video I posted of them this morning!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't even get me started on how much I hate Jay and even more so the idea of Jay and Cait as I just picked up season two again. And the fact that Cait seems to trust Jay and not Wells… it just drives me fucking crazy!
> 
> Seriously, if I hear Jay's name coming out of Cait's mouth one more time…

"So, let me get this straight," Cisco started slowly whereas Caitlin remained silent, still staring at this new version of dr. Wells. Maybe she had trouble believing what she was seeing or maybe she just wanted to be sure she wouldn't see a glimpse of Eobard in him. So far, she didn't. This man was still a stranger and soon would be a stranger she was boring her eyes into way too intensely to be considered normal. "You're the doppelganger of the man who murdered his mom," Cisco continued when pointing Barry, "and who's responsible for both Ronnie's and Eddie's deaths."

 _There_. Finally, Caitlin noticed something, but it wasn't what she expected. What she saw in dr. Wells was… actually human. He still seemed hostile and he didn't even break a smile, but there was a shadow that passed through his face so fast that no one but her noticed. And just that gave her the slightest proof that he truly was who he said he was. Suddenly, she started wondering how it was to be in his shoes, to arrive in a completely new world and meet with such powerful ostracism just because of something some other man had done.

Maybe exactly that prompted her to finally speak up and say, "Yeah, but he's not even the doppelganger of the dr. Wells we knew, because that dr. Wells's body was taken over by The Reverse Flash who was really Eobard Thawne and Eddie's distant relative from the future," she explained a little bit too fast and now could see the confusion playing on the older man's face.

"Yeah," he eventually went with, finally looking back at her and more so, looking her straight in the eye, actually affecting her with his radiant blues. Maybe exactly those eyes were what reminded her of his predecessor the most, but then again, dr. Wells had never looked at her as though he couldn't care less, as though he wasn't bothered by what she might think of him. The last time she'd actually spoken to Thawne, she could see that the way she looked at him after finding out his true identity, hurt him.

Still, despite her trying to feel some empathy for him, he really didn't care, not even bothering with trying to do the same for them, so maybe she shouldn't care either.

"I didn't follow any of that," he eventually told her, clearly with the intention to just brush her off. "I'm my own man. I have nothing to do with the murder of your mother or your friend Ricky." He turned to her again after glancing at Barry.

"His name was Ronnie," she immediately corrected, somewhat feeling offended and deciding that he would be way more difficult to like than she thought, after all. Or maybe not. Maybe he wouldn't even stick around. Maybe they would soon be free of him and able to forget about any other Harrison Wells that might be out there, keeping them from moving on.

"Him either," he just added, proving her point and a few seconds later telling her, "Everyone loses someone, Snow, the real test of character is what you do once they're gone."

She truly didn't know what to say to _that_. Did it mean that he'd lost someone and that was the reason to why he was the way he was? Maybe that was why he was plain mean, acting like a total jerk who didn't five a fuck. She didn't exactly like it, but when coming back to her own past in her mind, she could actually understand the need to detach oneself, to close oneself off for any human connection, to just shut one's heart completely in order to avoid more pain. Then again, it wasn't as though she could actually ask him about it, already knowing well what the response would be. This way she would only alienate him more and right now it was the last thing they needed. Besides, despite his familiar looks, he _was_ a total stranger and no one should pry like that when they didn't know the person better.

While he was explaining why exactly he was his own man and how he couldn't possibly be Eobard Thawne traveling back or forward in time just to deceive them, Snow came back to staring, eventually telling him she would still run the DNA test just to be sure.

"Knock yourself out," he agreed to that easily, "but I'll tell you what you'll find right now. I'd be genetically indistinguishable from my Earth One counterpart, so your tests will reveal nothing."

"Great. Still gonna run them, though," she said out of plain spite. The thing was that she actually believed him. It was either that Thawne was a brilliant actor – and he was or _had been_ , for that matter, for the entirety of fifteen years – or this dr. Wells just didn't care. He wasn't trying to prove anything to them, blatantly telling them the truth no matter how bad it all looked and sounded. For Caitlin just the fact that he didn't try to color it all up and didn't seem to care whether they'd like him or not, was enough to believe him. And she actually did, but in the end still offered to talk to Jay about him to confirm all the facts.

And Jay was another story, she thought when grabbing her jacket and passing by Joe on her way out of the Labs. Jay had just dropped by unannounced – they still had no idea how – being this nice guy who just wanted to help. He told them all there was to know about Zoom, how he fought him and barely escaped with his life. Caitlin actually took to Garrick immediately, just now seeing the error of her ways. Because you should never trust the pretty cover, right? And they were so nice and trusting towards Jay – well, ok, they locked him up first, but they quickly let him go and trusted him afterwards – and they couldn't do the same with dr. Wells just because he looked like the one they'd used to know. Because he looked like the man who'd betrayed them all in the worst way possible.

* * *

In the end, Caitlin did find Jay who was actually more than happy to walk with her back to the Labs, smiling to her and telling her stories of his time as the Flash on Earth Two. If she didn't know any better, she would say he was trying to impress her, to put himself in the spotlight so she would like him more and the appearance of dr. Wells actually made her see right through that. She bit on her lip, thinking hard again and eventually deciding to give this new Wells a chance just like she'd done with Jay. In fact, maybe they all should do it because how exactly would they feel when travelling to another world and being immediately hated because of something their evil doppelganger had done? Maybe all those breaches should've never been opened in the first place, Caitlin thought. Maybe traveling between dimensions was a terrible idea in general because it made things so much more complicated and allowed monsters to conquer more than one earth.

When she led Jay into the cortex, she was actually stunned with the turn of events since he and dr. Wells started screaming at each other, one claiming the other was a fraud and couldn't be trusted and in the end Jay got so mad that he hit Wells straight in the face. And Wells didn't just stand there and let him, he actually hit him right back and it was Barry who needed to use his speed to separate those two.

Caitlin could just stand there, looking from one man to another, seeing how the saying that there were always two sides to every story was true and not knowing which side to actually choose anymore.

In the end, she didn't even have the time to figure that out as Jay left, declaring he wouldn't spend another second in the company of the man who'd actually created Zoom and been hiding that for years. He must've been referring to the particle accelerator explosion as the same thing that happened on Caitlin's earth, happened on the other as well. Maybe dr. Wells – or _Harry_ as Cisco christened him to tell the two apart – had made the same mistake Eobard had. Though in Thawne's case it might've not actually been a mistake.

Next, they tried to find dr. Light, the evil doppelganger of Linda Park who was sent through by Zoom to hunt and kill the Flash. Just then _Harry_ unceremoniously revealed that Cisco was a metahuman, which shocked both Cait and Barry.

"You don't believe me?" Wells just asked, clearly exasperated with the lack of trust he was getting. "Look, this is a special watch. I manufactured an app that can actually detect metahumans. See?" He reached his arm out to Barry and it beeped, then he did the same to Caitlin and nothing happened. Well, maybe beside the fact that she almost recoiled and managed to stop herself just in time. Because having him make this sudden movement in her direction did something to her and she didn't know what that was just yet. All she was sure of for now was that she was confused as hell and maybe would never figure this whole situation out. "And now see this," Wells quickly moved his hand towards Cisco and it beeped again. He didn't even register Caitlin acting out of place.

* * *

The next day at lunchtime the three of them were getting coffee at the Jitters and Caitlin was just sitting by the table with Barry, waiting for Cisco to bring the order over and once again being immersed deeply into her thoughts.

"Hey, I'm sorry that Jay left, but we'll be fine. And Wells did help with dr. Light a lot, so maybe he's not as bad as it seems," Barry said, misunderstanding her behavior.

"I'm not worried about Jay," Caitlin rectified when looking at her friend. "And you're right, Wells _was_ helpful, although he needs to learn some proverbial bedside manners," she joked right then and they both laughed.

"You may be right there," Barry agreed with her.

"I just hate that ever since dr. Wells… I mean… Thawne… I can't quite figure out whom to trust," she admitted.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Barry admitted with a heavy sigh. "I think maybe we should just look at actions, then. We were very hopeful when it came to Jay, but he just left, not being able to stand the fact that we're working with Wells now and Wells did actually come through in the end. His methods might be harsh, but he's still here, offering a helping hand, so maybe that should count for something."

Caitlin actually smiled when hearing that. "You got that right."

"Let's just wait and see, ok?"

"Sure."

"Hey, guys, look what I've got!" Cisco not only brought coffee but also presented them with a number the pretty barista gave him.

"Wow! Look at that!" Barry was happy for him.

"Wait… won't you need a cool name now that you have powers?" Caitlin suddenly asked.

"Oh, snap! You're totally right!"

That was how they came up with the name Vibe and even though they didn't realize it just yet, Harry Wells was there to share that moment with them, standing just outside the Jitters, watching them. Well, actually he was looking at one person in particular, still not able to figure her out. He knew what his counterpart had done to every one of those people, but with Snow it seemed different somehow, as though there was more to it. And why the hell had she been staring at him like that? That woman had been boring a hole in his head all the day prior as though she was still making sure he was real.

And he was. So very much.

* * *

Whether she – or rather _they_ – could trust Wells or not was truly driving Caitlin crazy and eventually she just went straight up to Cisco and asked him to vibe the newest addition to the team. It didn't exactly go as planned as Harry caught up on it way too fast and avoided Cisco at all times now, the guy's powers still not developed enough to get the anticipated results at a first try.

Then, they actually tried and set a trap for Zoom and Caitlin's feeling that something was terribly wrong with Wells only intensified. She usually saw him tinkering with various devices strewn all over the Labs while being immersed so deeply into his thoughts that he wasn't even there, resembling a shell with nothing inside and coming back to them only when he sensed they needed his help figuring something out. And he was always right. Every single damn time he went over to them to give them a hand, he was right and it was truly getting on their nerves. Not that they didn't appreciate all of that, but did he really always have to be right?!

Well, except now, Caitlin thought, watching him again as he was sitting in front of a computer screen, bored out of his mind but still focused on the feed from that wasted hour during which they'd been trying to catch Zoom and failed miserably.

Cait had half a mind to finally approach him and ask him herself what was wrong and why he was torturing himself like this when it clearly didn't help the first three times he watched it. Only before she managed to do that, Iris called Barry, informing that Zoom made an appearance and took Linda. Then everything went to hell from the moment Wells's watch beeped, indicating another metahuman presencee, resulting in Zoom actually defeating Barry and dragging him beaten, battered and bloody all over the city, flaunting him like a broken puppet.

It was enough to drive a person crazy, especially one being so close to Barry. Caitlin could just stand there, frozen in place and unable to move, seeing Zoom with his fist around Barry's throat, about to kill him and she couldn't do anything to help, to stop this. Would she be next? Immediately ran through her mind. Was this how her life would end? And it would end before it even began, she thought, still not having found a place for herself in this world, not having found a person to spend the rest of her life with. Maybe that dream had been long gone anyway. Maybe she'd buried it when she'd buried Ronnie. Although with Ronnie it was an entirely different story she'd rather not come back to…

And then, just like that, she was suddenly given another chance. When the monster was so close to killing Barry and he – or maybe _it_? – actually looked Caitlin straight in the eye, freezing her insides with that empty stare; Cisco used his gun and shot Zoom with a power dampening dart. The monster let go of Barry and fell down. Wells was already preparing himself to approach him tentatively when suddenly, it was gone.

And all Caitlin could think about in that moment was not herself anymore, but Barry. He was the one who almost died and still wasn't out of the woods. He was the one in a desperate need of help.

Wells's scream barely registered in her head when she ran to her friend and began checking him up for injuries, begging him to hold on.

* * *

And he did hold on, now sleeping it all off; though he wouldn't be fine if it wasn't for his powers that had already saved him from death numerous times.

Barely one crisis was over, another begun as Joe, who'd just appeared, was clearly looking for a scapegoat and found it in the person of Wells.

Caitlin was already moving towards them with the intention of breaking them apart when Cisco cut in, asking Wells who was Jesse.

And suddenly everything became very clear to them.

"Jesse is my daughter and Zoom has her. Did you vibe her? Is she _alive_?" Harry immediately asked Cisco and it was clear to everyone present that he barely held on, his emotions being on overdrive. And Snow couldn't really blame him if his daughter was truly taken by this monster. The girl was probably all the man had since they hadn't heard of any possible Mrs. Wells and it might be safe to assume the woman was gone or dead. Maybe just like Tess, the woman the originals Wells loved, she figured.

"She's with Zoom. He has her, but yeah, she's alive," Cisco finally confirmed and it was as though Harry could finally take a breath, holding on to that piece of news.

He said a few harsh words towards Joe before turning around and leaving whereas Caitlin was still thinking about how he must feel. His daughter had been taken by a monster the Flash of his world, Jay Garrick, couldn't defeat. Now it all became so much clearer. Even the hate Garrick and Wells had for each other was explainable. Traveling to another universe to seek another Flash's help was the only choice Wells seemed to have, not able to take upon Zoom himself and what they'd done to him? They'd only served him a cold welcome, being outright hostile towards him just because he wore the face of the man that had betrayed them not so long ago.

Only how a man who had a daughter he clearly loved more than life itself and was holding on to the idea of rescuing her like to a life raft could be evil at his core?

Without a second thought, Caitlin followed him out of the cortex and down the corridor to the lab he'd taken as his own maybe because it was so far away.

"Wait!" she called after him as she took up running, which wasn't easy in heels.

He did stop eventually, placing his hands on his hips and sighing heavily, but he did not turn to face her.

"I am so sorry for what happened to Jesse," Caitlin said softly. "It must've been awful. I just want you to know…"

"What?" he suddenly asked when whirling to her, his blue eyes now boring into hers. There was no softness in them, just the opposite. "You want me to know what? That you're all here for me? That everything's going to be all right? Which one is it, Snow?!" he raised his voice.

She knew what he was doing because she knew this behavior well. He was trying to push her and everyone else away because it would simply be too much if he actually accepted any other kind of help than defeating Zoom, if he actually accepted _compassion_. He would surely break then, the hate he now had for Zoom being the only thing that still kept him together.

He was looking her in the eye, waiting expectantly and she realized there was truly nothing she could say to make his anguish go away.

"Thought so. Just leave me alone, ok?!" he growled then. "I should've known coming here was a mistake!" After that, he took up walking again.

"Dr. Wells!" she still called after him, but he did not stop this time. Not even when she used his name, "Harrison!"

Somehow she felt like she failed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so be honest here, did I actually bring it? It will only get more AU and there will be more additional scenes as the story progresses, I can promise you that much.
> 
> I don't know why but I struggled a lot through this chapter. I hope it's all clear as you read it and that I didn't leave any outrageous mistakes.


	3. Chapter 3

Harrison Wells never in his life cared about what people thought or said about him. He just did what he could best, lead the life he wanted and never let anyone stop him from achieving anything. If someone didn't like him, it was their problem and not his, because honestly, why would he even bother? Then, maybe he _had_ made a mistake somewhere along the way, he thought bitterly, now having to travel to another universe just to find someone who would help him save his daughter from Zoom. He'd worked very hard to get everything he had, spending most of his life in a lab, creating, putting his inborn genius to some good use, but now he just felt powerless since he couldn't save Jesse and it was killing him. In fact, he felt like a failure. So maybe he should've cared more, maybe he should've been more social and put up with all the crap people usually did or said just so they would be there for him later. Then again, it was no use to cry over spilt milk and even if he tried, such _friends_ would be no good to him. People who wanted you in their life, would do anything to stay and those who didn't, simply wouldn't care. Maybe in the end his personality wasn't all that sparkling, but it had been ok once since he'd had two people – both of them women – who he'd truly needed in life; one of them now being long dead and the other gone, taken by a monster.

And he still had no idea what to do about that. One thing he was sure of - the people he'd met on this earth, the fabulous-NOT team Flash, didn't want him there, so he wouldn't outstay his welcome. It was still ironic, though, that it wasn't his character that failed this time – it was something his doppelganger had done; a complete stranger to him even if he looked exactly the same.

He walked into the cortex, interrupting the conversation they were having there, probably speculating when Barry would be able to walk and run again after having his spine broken by Zoom. It was, yet, another thing added to the pile of things Wells could be blamed for, even though he'd actually tried to help, risking his own life when leaving the Labs with his gun and bravely – or maybe rather foolishly – facing the monster when he was just about to kill the famous Flash.

"It's time for me to go home," he simply announced in his usual gruff voice and was just about to turn around and leave when he heard _her_ out of all people.

"No, you can't go home," Snow protested immediately, making a few steps towards him.

"I know when I'm not welcomed," he told her. "I've wasted enough time on this earth. I just need one of you to show me the way to the right breach and I'm out of your hair."

"You can't go through the breach," she tried to stop him again and damn it, she was being stubborn.

He reluctantly turned back to her since he really wanted to reduce their contacts to an absolute minimum. Why? It wasn't that he disliked her and maybe that was exactly the problem. There was something about her that screamed vulnerability and strength all in the same time and he noticed it right away. She'd been through a lot, losing both her fiancé and then husband and a mentor, surviving the loss and the striking betrayal and she was still there, still fighting and still standing. What happened most definitely changed her, that much was clear, but she was trying to be strong in her weakness and despite her history with the previous dr. Wells, she seemed to be the only person in this whole team who found it in herself to actually try and understand him, to see him as a completely different man and not to judge him immediately because of something someone else had done. It truly was remarkable. Added to that, she was more than pretty. In fact, she was beautiful and at first it was hard for Harry to even believe Barry when he introduced her as a doctor. Harrison had certainly never met such a pretty doctor in his life and that was his objective opinion. So yes, being around Snow was bound to become dangerous for him.

"You can't stop Zoom on your own," she reminded him, thinking she got his attention and that she actually had a chance at convincing him. "Whatever you're going to do there, you can do here and we need you, dr. Wells, to stay until we can defeat this monster."

She almost succeeded, he thought, nearly sighing and doing his best to shut himself down completely. _Almost_ , but it still wasn't enough.

"What I need, dr. Snow, is to return home," he eventually said and watched the hope in her expression turn into bitter disappointment. Why did she care so much anyway when everyone else couldn't wait to get rid of him? He could tell by the simple fact that no one backed her up. In fact, they were looking at her now as though she was crazy.

In the end, he simply turned around and left for good, thinking it was the last time he had to bear all those judgmental stares. Good riddance.

"What are you doing?" Cisco asked Caitlin when Wells was already gone. "If Harry wants to go… bye!"

"No, I can't do that," she decided, shaking her head and actually following the older guy. "Not yet," she added on her way out of the Labs.

She still felt awful about failing him the other day when she'd tried to talk to him, to reach him and somehow ended up alienating him even more. The truth was that she didn't see Eobard in him anymore. In fact, she never had. It was just hard to see this face at first because it was a painful reminder. Although she seemed to be past that now as this Harrison Wells didn't even move the same way the previous did. They might look the same, but their movements, preferred gestures, hair style, voice modulation and above all – behavior - was so different from one another that if she saw the two of them standing next to each other, she would be able to tell them apart pretty quickly. She had no idea what made her pay such a close attention, not even having the time now to actually figure that out.

* * *

She followed him into the nearest bar and a shady one to that. Go figure. People were familiar with his face in this town, so he needed to choose a place where no one cared or didn't care enough. He did put a ball cap on, a rather feeble attempt at concealing his identity.

Once Caitlin came closer, she noticed more details like the map he was currently scribbling on. A map of the city, she realized then, with possible breaches drawn all over. She had no idea how he wanted to locate the one leading to his earth and to his city like this, but she was curious to find out. And then it struck her. Just because he was from another earth didn't mean he had a different technique of finding things than she or her friends did. Different earth, maybe, but not different way of thinking. There was no magic on Earth Two, there was just science in different stages of development and unless Wells had some secretive metahuman power – which she was sure he didn't simply because of the watch he was still wearing – there was no way he could figure out his way home with _that_.

And it only made her feel sorry for him.

She didn't know what to say, how to approach him this time. She should learn her lesson and go for a lighter tone rather than emotional, so she just blurted out, "You should stay away from the cheese cards. They're addictive."

She was truly stunned when instead of stirring in surprise that she followed him or looking at her just like her friends did recently, like she was crazy; he actually laughed.

He laughed! And she discovered he had a very pretty laughter that just now even reached his eyes. It might actually be the first time he looked like a normal human being and a nice one to that.

Unfortunately, just when she smiled right back at him and for some reason he didn't even look at her; he stopped, going straight to the point, the mask back on his face, "I'll take a wild guess and say you're here without the consent of your fabulous team."

"It's been difficult having you here," she eventually admitted with a sigh. What would it take to actually reach this man? She wondered.

If only she knew she'd already done that and he was just using his last remnants of control to stay away without endangering _her_ , too. Because honestly, he'd come to this earth for the Flash's help and now that Flash was suffering from an actual broken spine which wouldn't heal if he were a normal person. Wells couldn't possibly drag Snow into this as well since she was only human. Just like he was. And he was already a dead man, wasn't he? He just now realized and as though as she could read his mind, she said, "We can help you save your daughter. You know you can't do this alone. If you try, Zoom will kill you and now, how's that gonna help Jesse?" When he still didn't say anything to that, she continued, "The best way to save her is for you to stay here and work with us as a team."

When he finally raised his eyes to her face, he realized that the look of hope he could see there, sparked because he was actually considering it. Damn it! He quickly looked away, doing his best to brush her off one more time. It wouldn't do him any good to actually let her get to him like this. She would only suffer if he did. Just like everyone he'd ever cared for suffered, like dying of cancer whereas he'd been spending his every waking hour in the lab, trying to come up with the right plan to save her or when he'd been the worst father ever and then the person he should be good to, was gone, taken by an evil speedster. Yes, Harrison made a lot of mistakes and this woman sitting right next to him would not be paying for them.

"No," he shut her down and the look of disappointment and actual _sadness_ on her face did something to his insides. Still, he was adamant in his decision. "Now, please, leave me alone when I discover which one of those breaches is gonna get me home," he rasped out, not even believing himself that he managed to fit the word _please_ in there. Maybe in the end he didn't really want to cause her pain. Maybe he wanted to be different than his counterpart who'd betrayed her trust. Not that it mattered, he thought then. He should've just let her hate him. It would be easier for her.

And he might've just succeeded when she got mad at him and said before leaving, "You know, you're lucky that Cisco and professor Stein haven't figured out how to close the breaches, because then you'd be stuck here."

She was already leaving and good, he thought when… damn it! She'd actually given him an idea and he couldn't help it. He caved. She was right. She was always right and he was just too stubborn to see that. Or maybe he did see it but wanted to protect her from himself all the same.

"Wait," the words were out his mouth before he could stop them and she did listen before reluctantly turning her head to meet his eyes. "We close the breaches," he suggested then, playing all his cards and deciding to go with this plan, "all of them except one, so Zoom only has one way to get to this world."

She came closer, clearly interested, seeing what he just circled on his map.

"The breach at S.T.A.R. Labs," she gasped, understanding what he meant. And damn it, she just had to smile at him again.

And he couldn't help but smile right back.

* * *

They didn't really talk on their way to the Labs. Caitlin was afraid that she would say something wrong and alienate this strange man, yet, once again and he was just concocting a brand new plan in his head, focused only on closing the breaches so he could get to Zoom and through him, to Jesse.

Once at their destination, they parted, each heading in the opposite direction. Harry walked straight to the small lab placed far away from the cortex just so he could be alone and Caitlin went to find her friends to tell them about the new plan and then started working with Cisco.

It didn't take much time for Harry to actually wander back into the cortex, frustrated that he didn't have enough to go with. Now he just needed to freaking admit that he needed help and what more, help from people that clearly hated him or still barely tolerated. He'd much rather go to Caitlin, but sadly, this wasn't exactly her field of expertise.

When he reached the right room, still finding himself surprised by how similar, yet different some of them were to the ones he was used to in his Labs, he heard Ramon and Allen talking about some gorilla and… wait, Caitlin?

He stood in the entrance, listening in on their conversation until he got all the info and eventually made his presence known.

"Why would this... Grodd… abduct dr. Snow?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest and walking to the computer.

"I don't know," Ramon answered him, for once not having anything mean to add. "She was always so nice to him."

That sounded just like Snow, Wells almost smiled. He hadn't known her for long, but he could already tell that she was incredibly smart and sympathetic to just about anyone and anything. It didn't even come as a surprise that she would be nice to a telepathic gorilla. And maybe exactly _that_ got her kidnapped.

He nearly sucked in a breath when he realized that. She was _kidnapped_. Just like his daughter. And that was also _exactly_ the thing from which he'd been trying to protect her. It just so happened that no matter what he did, how good his intentions were, things just happened. It was that either he was the bearer of bad luck – and as a scientist he couldn't even comprehend how someone could believe in either good or bad fortune – or things just happened to people all around and it simply wasn't his fault.

He felt bad that he'd tried so hard to push her away and in the end she disappeared all the same. Then again, he realized that he might not be able to do anything about Jesse being gone, but he could do something about Caitlin's kidnapping. He just vaguely heard Ramon saying something about Grodd and the previous dr. Wells being close, about the gorilla actually calling the man a _father_. Well, what did you know? Wells thought. An evil scientist needed an evil pet with superpowers.

That gave him an idea.

* * *

Wells truly didn't know what it was about Snow that gave him the needed inspiration and could just spark his brain so he would come up with the best solution to the problem. Like right now, creating an algorithm to actually find that gorilla, Grodd, to Ramon's appreciation. Maybe in the end the guy would actually accept and even like him? Harrison wondered, surprised by that himself. Maybe he was wrong before, after all. Maybe you never truly needed to change yourself to get people to like you, maybe it was simply actions that mattered and he was just helping them to find Snow not because he wanted to win them over, but because _he, too,_ wanted to find her.

Once he actually listened to Cisco's ridiculous idea and put on the Reverse Flash suit to convince Grodd he was his _father,_ however equally _ridiculous_ that sounded; his breath was knocked out of his lungs completely when Allen, on seeing him dressed up like that, rushed straight to him, pushing him into a wall and holding him by the neck.

Boy, they'd really had a problem with the previous Wells…

* * *

On their way to Grodd's hiding spot, Cisco was teaching Wells the right way to speak so he would sound like dr. Wells, the original, but Harrison could swear the guy was overdoing it just because he wanted to make fun of him.

Well, whatever. And if it was gonna save Snow… then yes, Harry could most definitely make a fool of himself, which he was doing just fine without Ramon's help, feeling completely ridiculous in this yellow suit. He suddenly wondered what Snow would think on seeing him. Would she immediately assume the most plausible explanation that it was him or would there be a moment of doubt in which she would question her own sanity and actually claim to see Thawne?

Soon enough, all his questions were answered when he strode into Grodd's hidey hole bravely, though inside he was just a nervous wreck; and faced the gorilla before daring look at Snow. And boy, was that animal big! He expected something a little bit smaller, having telepathic gorillas on his earth as well, but never actually seeing them from up close.

Next, pretending to be dr. Wells, the father of the animal, he finally slowly turned in _her_ direction and had to stop himself from showing off his true reaction. Because she seemed to know immediately and without a doubt who he was and what he was doing for her, what he was _risking_. And that was his life.

He realized just then that it was true. He was risking his own life to save her, basically a stranger while his daughter was still somewhere out there. If this sucker of an ape killed him, what would happen to Jesse? The most dreadful of thoughts appeared in his mind.

He forced himself to proceed to talking to Grodd, to actually talking him _into_ letting Snow go, because truly, why would she be needed if the beloved father was back?

Ok, he might've overdone it a little, he then thought, making his way to the girl a little bit too fast and too eagerly, annoying the monster. Then he made just one more mistake by actually _asking_. And this was what he was getting for saying the word _please_ which he'd used more those last few days than during the last few _years_?!

"Father doesn't ask," Grodd just said, "father takes."

Harry managed to exchange a rather scared look with Caitlin before she told him to run and made a dash for the door herself. Well, good for her, she was free now, but before Wells managed to follow her, Grodd took a swing and suddenly the whole world turned upside down as Harry flew into the air only to crash painfully into the table and then to the ground.

That was it, he thought, trying to heave himself up with a painful groan. Everything hurt from the fall and added to that, he was actually terrified now, thinking he was going to die and Jesse would be left all alone with Zoom and with no one to help her.

When he risked a glance at the door, waiting for the beast to inflict the final blow and just needing to be sure Snow was safe and sound; she came back.

She was supposed to run, damn it! Harry cursed inwardly since his breath was still kind of knocked out of his lungs. She was supposed to run and instead she was actually hesitating whether to come back! For what?! If she came back for him, they would both be dead! He tried to tell her that silently, just by looking into her eyes, but she didn't seem to listen.

Eventually, he spotted Ramon and was relieved to see him hold Caitlin back. There was still this look of pure panic on her face, though.

In that moment, Wells actually had something resembling epiphany.

Jesse wouldn't be left to fend for herself, because this team, team Flash, would save her even if her father was gone. He was somehow sure of it. He'd never tried to make them like him, but he'd proved himself to be useful and it wasn't even to get into their good graces. It was because he wanted to save Snow. And that would be enough. He could now die in peace and…

Wait… why would he need to die if he still had that syringe in his pocket? He suddenly remembered, reaching for it discreetly. How could he forget that he had this just in case? He knew better than to actually hope for it to incapacitate Grodd, but it might bother him enough for Harry to maybe try and make a dash for the door himself.

It was now or never.

Though he would have to play a little bit of dr. evil again in order to get close enough.

Eventually, he managed to stab the gorilla and it roared whereas Harry screamed at Snow and Ramon to go before running towards the door, wondering why the hell that woman was still standing there, waiting for him!

"Snow, just go!" he eventually yelled and grabbed her hand, pulling her behind him and to the exit of the building.

* * *

Snow was just putting some finishing touches to his stitches and he couldn't stop staring at her face, wondering whether she was even aware of it. Truth be told, she was unsettling him. It'd been quite a while since a woman had touched him, not to mention such a sensitive place as his _abdomen_. Ok, technically she did give him a local anesthetic so he wouldn't feel the pain, but somehow he could still _feel_ the touch of her cool and skilful fingers and he felt like he maybe wanted _more_. Damn it. He forced himself to think about his daughter, to think how he should be trying to do more in order to save her. He couldn't be distracted by pretty women taking good care of him and refusing to give up on him when he wanted nothing to do with the team. Besides, even if Jesse's life wasn't in danger, he still wouldn't be able to indulge himself in similar fantasies, taking into consideration the history Snow had with his predecessor and the fact that he was significantly older than her and with a teenager daughter, even if being a widower himself. Those odds were most definitely _not_ in his favor. Not to mention the whole other earth he was coming from and would eventually return to _with_ said teenage daughter because she still needed him.

And that was the end of Harrison's disturbing thoughts.

"Thank you," he eventually said to Snow, still a little shaken up by her ministrations, but he did his best not to show it.

Once she heard that, she just had to smile at him with one of those brilliant, dazzling smiles of hers. And the worst thing about those smiles was that they were honest. She wasn't faking anything. She simply was this nice and this caring and she now appreciated him so much more because he'd risked his life to save hers. He truly didn't know how to act in those circumstances, what to say to her since before she came along and when not counting Jesse, he'd never done a selfless thing in his entire life, not even when it came to his now late wife. He knew that well and he had to live with it. He was just _that_ kind of a man.

"We're a team, right?" he eventually told her just because she expected _something_ and there it was again, damn it, that smile! It was melting his… since when exactly did he even have an actual heart?!

Next, the team – having finally accepted him as their own – started discussing what they were going to do with Grodd and Snow actually stood in the gorilla's defense. So Harry wasn't special in any way to her, he realized then and wasn't sure whether he was relieved about that or disappointed. She was just _that_ good a person and he knew in that moment that they were truly light years apart in every way, her being this bright and shiny star and him hiding away in the shadows.

Though, again she gave him an idea and he was surprised by the inspiration she seemed to always awake in him. They would simply send Grodd to Earth Two to the place where other telepathic gorillas resided.

* * *

One speedster getting his powers back and one gorilla less in the city later, they actually formed a pretty good team and Harry had to admit – it was nice to be needed for a change. With Jesse it hadn't been easy before she got taken. She'd been getting dangerously close to the beginning of her adult life and she was way too smart for her own good, which caused Wells to feel very proud, but in the same time disappointed because she could finally pick up on what kind of a person he truly was and he saw that she didn't exactly like it. She'd used to see him as her biggest hero, the best man in the whole wide world, her dad the greatest, especially after her mother's death, but then… he was nothing but a disappointment to her and he knew that. Maybe in the end he would be left with no daughter and no one in his life, just leading a bitter and lonely existence. Now he finally seemed to have found some kind of purpose, people who actually accepted him and maybe even grew to like him a bit, but he just wished the circumstances hadn't been so dire. He wished he could've had his daughter back already so he could show her that he could be a better person, a better _father._

There was one thing left to do that day, though, Harry decided when still feeling guilty about pushing Snow away earlier. Yes, he seemed to be doing that to everyone on top of being mean and gruff, but there was something different about her. She didn't deserve to be merely brushed off because she was the only person who'd seen him for who he was from the beginning and that wasn't dr. Wells AKA Eobard Thawne.

"Hey," he said for the lack of better words as he entered the cortex, hands in the pockets of his pants. Honestly, he didn't expect her to still be there, maybe hoping he could somehow postpone this awkward conversation, but there she was, proving him wrong. "You're still here."

"Yeah," she admitted when meeting his eyes and just by that, she managed to unsettle him. She was looking at him with expectation as though she knew he was there for a reason. "Are you ok? Any pain?" He thought for a while before figuring out what she meant by that and he nearly smiled.

"I'll be fine. In case you haven't heard, I happened to be treated by a fantastic doctor."

"Oh, you gotta give me her number. Maybe I'll need her, too one day," she teased him with a smile and he couldn't help but smile back and widely at that.

"How d'you know it was a she?"

"Just a feeling." She shrugged.

He grabbed the chair usually occupied by Cisco and sat near her. Damn, Ramon had a very comfy chair, he then decided, already trying to figure out a way to steal it in order to prank the younger guy.

"So… I guess I was just trying…" he sighed heavily, not able to find the right words, reaching for his glasses and taking them off in frustration. After rubbing his eyes, he put them back on and looked at her again, seeing that she was patiently waiting for him to go on, a small encouraging smile on her face. She was way too good to him, he decided. Why did she insist on seeing the best in him anyway? He didn't deserve any of it! "I guess I wanted to apologize for treating you so badly the other day when you were only trying to make me feel better."

"I didn't see you apologizing so eagerly to the rest of the team," she noticed and he groaned inwardly. She was also perceptive and unusually emotionally intelligent, he added those features of hers to the pile of things he already knew about her.

"Well, you're… you're different, Snow. You're…" yet, he never finished this sentence, just staring off into the distance before saying, "You know, Garrick was right. I am responsible for the metahuman population in my world," he suddenly confessed. "So you might be right there in taking his side."

"I never took any sides," Snow cut in. "And I don't trust Jay anymore. He's abandoned the team. I… I trust _you_ ," she suddenly confessed and he just had to meet her eyes on hearing that.

"You may be wrong there," he warned her.

"Maybe. But I'm usually good at reading people."

"Will you still say the same when I tell you that I turned the particle accelerator on under cover of the night? And that the last thing I said to my daughter before she was taken was that when you couldn't find a key, you needed to kick a door open? I wish…" He came to a stop again, releasing a heavy breath. "I wish I was a better man, Snow," he confessed, avoiding her eyes. "I wish to be a better father, a better… _person_. The truth is that I wasn't. Maybe I never was."

"You know," she just said softly, "it's never too late." There it was again. That damn smile, he thought, wondering what he'd done in his life to deserve this. It was truly a mystery to him why Snow treated him like this, why didn't she hate him or judge him even after what she just heard. Was it because he was honest with her? "And once you get Jesse back, you will be able to tell her everything you need to," she added.

He didn't have the heart to correct her. Because it might not be a _when_ , but _if_. And that was truly killing him. Still, somehow, Snow gave him hope, waking something up inside of him that he hadn't felt for years. How she managed to do it, he had no idea.

"Better head home," he then told her when getting off the chair and directing himself to his room that he had in the Labs. "It's getting late and we have to be here tomorrow bright and early."

" _You_ will certainly be here," she reminded him when grabbing her purse and leaving for the exit. "Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Snow."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? I think this was definitely better than the previous chapter. You might notice that I just had to twist what Snow said to Jay and made her say it to Harry. Yeah, she trusts Harry because he's honest and he stayed.


	4. Chapter 4

While Barry and Cisco took Kendra, the latter's new girlfriend, to Star City to seek some help from Oliver; Caitlin and Wells remained in S.T.A.R. Labs, working together on finding a solution to make Barry faster. Ever since Zoom happened, their speedster couldn't seem to reach his old velocity, not to mention the one Zoom was currently running with and without that they stood no chance against the monster. Caitlin and Harry had been testing Barry's speed for days now, trying to come up with a solution and so far everything failed. Well, except that one thing Harry suggested in the end, but honestly, Snow still wasn't sure whether it was a good idea.

In the end, she agreed to it since there was nothing else left to try and partially because she discovered she really enjoyed working with the man. They seemed to complete one another perfectly with his mechanical approach to things and her biochemical input. She actually managed to help him with a project that had failed every single time he'd tried it in the past, sparking an idea that eventually led them to the right answer. The smile that appeared on his face then truly warmed her chest. So far she'd noticed that he was reserved and cold towards everyone and even if he seemed more relaxed in Cisco's or Barry's company, he kept being mean. Yet, that never happened whenever she was alone with him. While there was no one else in the room but the two of them, he seemed relaxed more than she'd ever seen him, even smiling to her as they naturally fell into work together and came up with another brilliant idea. There was certainly something _there_ and Caitlin just decided to call it the kinship of minds, some kind of a deeper understanding for fear she might actually think something that would either terrify her or made her hope for the future whereas there was really nothing to back up those thoughts.

"I need something from the car," Harry said once the drug they together came up with was ready and he grabbed his ball cap before making a run outside. That was the moment Caitlin would be replaying in her mind for the next few hours. The moment in which she wished she'd told him she would bring whatever he needed because it was dangerous for him to get outside where someone could see him. Still, as it usually happened, when she had the time to actually think about it, she didn't and just let him go. A dire mistake, indeed.

* * *

She was once again getting over her notes in her lab, trying to decide whether it was safe to give the drug to Barry without causing more harm than good when she heard it.

A gunshot.

She didn't even think when she dropped everything and picked up running towards the cortex, praying that it wasn't what she suspected it was. Praying that someone did not just get to Harry, thinking he was Eobard Thawne, therefore responsible for the murder of Nora Allen.

Only exactly that happened.

The moment Snow stopped, her worst nightmares came true as she saw Patty standing with a gun that was still smoking over the immobile body of Harry. He was just lying there on the ground and she couldn't even tell whether he was still breathing. The worst part was that she spotted the gunshot wound just where his heart was and felt as though her own would soon stop.

A memory of another dead body she saw lying in the lab exactly like this one suddenly haunted her. They'd thought back then that it was Eobard, but he'd cunningly used a shapeshifter and the police, that had been waiting for him, shot the poor meta. Yet, before Caitlin found out who it really was, she had a brief moment of panic that it was really him, that he just died. She'd already known that he was the Reverse Flash, but the attachment she still felt to him seemed to overcome her common sense.

Now it was happening all over again, only this time it was the real Harrison Wells bleeding out on the floor. What more, he was a good man and even if he himself admitted to not being exactly _that_ in the past, she had faith in him. Something told her to have it, something told her to actually trust him and now she was the one failing his trust. Because she let him leave. She let him be seen and get shot because she wasn't in the cortex with him when it happened.

"Oh, my God!" she yelled to Patty. "What have you done?!"

Without waiting for the answer, she just got down to her knees, pressing her hands into the wound on his chest and feeling the pulse that was already weakening. But it was still there, she thought with hope, now sure that the bullet didn't hit the heart, but it was close nonetheless.

"Harrison? Harrison, stay with me!" she screamed, desperate for him to hear her, to reach out to her and fight for life. Fight for his daughter that still needed him and damn it, yes, she needed him, too! Snow realized. She didn't know what it meant just yet, but she couldn't stand the thought of losing him. She simply wasn't done getting to know him better.

In that moment she made a promise – she would not let this man die.

* * *

Caitlin needed to get Harry onto a lab bed, but was unable to do it alone. Eventually, she had to ask Patty for help, the girl still shaken up, not understanding a thing Snow was explaining to her. Quite frankly, Cait didn't care, just raising her voice to the woman and giving her various commands. With Spivot's help, she eventually managed to get Harrison to that damn bed and then grabbed her scissors, quickly cutting the sweater off of him with shaky hands, revealing the wound and the little fibers of black fabric plastered to it.

She felt dizzy out of the sudden, bracing herself against the edge of the bed and taking a deep breath as her world spun out of control. Harrison was unconscious but alive, which was probably the best thing for him right now as he must've been in a lot of pain. It was better that his mind shut down to spare the body.

"What do you want me to do?" Patty asked and surprisingly, her voice brought Snow back to reality. She needed to pull herself together because this man needed her help and there was truly no one else that could give it to him. She couldn't take him to a hospital just because of his face. Added to that, she didn't know whether there were some differences in people's physique, insides, blood or cells when they came from an entirely different universe.

Speaking of physique… now that she managed to calm herself down a bit and grabbed Harry's wrist to stick it with a needle in order to hook him up to the right IV so he wouldn't wake up, she did spot the clear outline of the muscles of his body. She so did not expect to see _that_ hiding underneath all those black sweaters… Not that _now_ was the time to actually think such thoughts.

Done with the IV, she began hooking up electrodes to his chest to monitor his heart rate, really not liking all those results and finally, she did some X-Rays using the newest technology Cisco installed in her tablet. It was not good. Damn it!

Joe popped in, in that moment and Caitlin couldn't be happier to see him since Patty pacing back and forth was really starting to get on her nerves.

Snow didn't really expect Joe to get _this_ angry, considering he never liked any version of Wells and the first time he'd seen Harry, he'd actually tried to shoot him himself as Barry relayed to her later. Yet, he was furious when he saw Patty and told her to get out and then asked how he could help.

In that exact moment Caitlin realized the perfect solution and what more, Harry himself had helped her come up with it.

While Joe was making a phone call, she came back to the bed on which Wells lay and before she could stop herself, she brought her hand to his hair and stroked it gently. "I know how to help you," she whispered to him. "Just hold on for me, ok? Hold on for Jesse. You'll be just fine. All you have to do is hold on long enough. Can you do that for me?" she asked and kept on stroking that hair because it was really nice to touch, the brown curls softer than she expected. Suddenly, she realized Joe wasn't talking on the phone anymore and when she turned to him, she discovered he was actually watching her ministrations with a strange expression on his face.

"Jay's gonna be here soon," he finally said, clearing his throat.

"Thank you," was all with what she could respond, somehow still keeping her hand on Harry's head.

* * *

The moment Harrison actually took a deep breath and opened his eyes was both music to Caitlin's ears and a wonderful sight.

He seemed to be confused for a moment there, so she called his name and then he locked his eyes with hers and she couldn't help but smile to him brightly. She was just so happy he was all right and that she didn't have to operate on him and make things worse since Jay had removed the bullet with his speed while testing the drug given to him. A drug intended for Barry, but it only worked temporarily, so Snow figured she and Harry would have to work on it some more. For now she was just happy he was all right. She couldn't help herself and she moved closer to place her hand on his bare shoulder when saying, "You're gonna be all right."

And then it all came back to him. The woman with a gun in the cortex. The gun going off and the surprise when the bullet actually hit him. He didn't remember much after that except Snow's voice. In fact, that voice sounded so distraught that it affected him deeply. She kept on calling his name, telling him to hold on for her. Wait… for _her_? Wasn't that actually for Jesse? He couldn't be sure, all of his memories blurry.

"That's good news," he told her eventually and she took her hand away. Honestly, he wished she hadn't, but maybe it was a good thing she did, because soon all he would be able to think about when he wasn't thinking about his daughter would be Snow touching various parts of his body.

Oh, wait, he just now realized. In his short period of stay on this earth, he already had two scars, a new collection since he'd never before in his life gotten hurt. That all started with Earth One. He didn't even want to think about what would be next. Broken bone? Bleeding brow ridge? Or maybe his nose?

"You'll probably be very sore for a while, though," Snow added in an apologetic tone and he truly wanted to ask her what the hell she was apologizing for since she clearly saved his life.

"Sore's better than dead," he told her instead and smiled at her before that smile faded away when he noticed Jay standing further behind her.

And that was when he found out who _really_ saved his life. And he did not like that news at all.

* * *

It was late and the Labs seemed to be left abandoned for the night; even more so than usual since Barry and Cisco were still in Star City. Yet, Caitlin didn't head home. She did leave, but came right back, surprising Harry when she switched the lights back on and dangled a bag she'd gotten from the Big Belly Burger.

"What? You really thought I was gonna leave you all alone when technically you can't even leave the bed just yet?" she asked him, doing her best not to look too much at the arms of his that were now sticking out of the covers he pulled on top of himself. Tomorrow she would change the dressing on his wound and allow him to get up and move a little, maybe even take a shower, but tonight he was bound to the bed if she had any saying in it. One could never be too careful and he did suffer from a wound that could potential kill him. And it probably would have if he'd been taken into a hospital and operated on. In the end, Snow actually saved him a lot of convalescence when getting Jay to remove the bullet. "Still angry about the fact that you owe your life to Jay?" she asked then since he frowned.

"No. I'm angry because you just woke me up," he informed her gruffly and she nearly chuckled when pulling up a chair for herself to the side of his bed.

"I could turn the lights off again and just leave, but we both know you must be hungry and you _love_ those burgers, don't you?" she asked while opening the bag and she did see him swallow hard when the delicious smell of food filled the room.

"You know I'm letting you stay and keep me awake just because you went to the Big Belly Burger, don't you?" he still pretended to be mean, but she knew better than that. He was actually enjoying this playful banter as much as she did. Who knew, maybe he hadn't even been sleeping when she'd walked in. Maybe he was just thinking and if the subject was his daughter, then maybe he could use a distraction.

He accepted the burger from her after heaving himself up a little on the bed, the covers slipping from his body and her eyes immediately tracing down his chest. Damn it, what was she even doing? She actually felt herself blush and she forced her eyes to shift back to the food she just now bit into.

Fortunately for her, Harry didn't say anything. Maybe he didn't even notice. Unfortunately for her, she just felt awkward when sitting there, consuming the food but not talking, so of course she asked the worst question possible, "So, is there any Mrs. Wells on your earth?" She didn't even know what prompted _that_. Ok, well, maybe she did, but _why_ did she just have to open her stupid mouth and allow it to get out?!

"Don't you think that if there really was, she'd be right here with me, trying to get Jesse back?" he answered with a question and Snow felt awful.

"Harrison, I… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was a long time ago and there hasn't been anyone significant ever since. In fact," he sighed, holding the burger in his hand for a while as though he suddenly lost his appetite, "maybe I didn't even treat _her_ as though she was significant enough to me. I already told you. I am not a very good man."

"But you're starting to be," she wasn't giving up that easily. She wasn't blind. She'd heard what he'd revealed to her about himself, but she also saw his actions now. And she always judged people based on the actions she saw, not on their pasts. Because people changed. They could learn and they could grow. "You're doing everything you can to help your daughter. You even took a risk and traveled to a whole new universe for her. You saved _me_ ," she added in the end.

"Well, yeah… I guess losing makes you realize that you should be a better person," he said and took another bite. "And it's not even that I don't care about people. I actually throw a charity gala at the Labs every year around Christmas and I try to make people's lives better every day at work with my inventions, but…" he hesitated, "you can still hurt someone when you're not giving them enough of your attention, you know? I never hit my wife or cheated on her, nothing like that. I am not _that_ kind of a person and I wouldn't be able to do any of those things. I just… ah, the truth is that I married her because she was pregnant and I never really knew whether she was _the_ one, you know?"

Snow fell silent, processing what he just said.

And then he covered his face with his hand. "Why on earth am I telling you all of this?!"

"Well, it makes me think that maybe you trust me and that's nice to know," she told him just to make him feel better. Then again, she didn't lie to him all the same.

"How about you?" he asked, clearly not willing to tell her anything more. "Any skeletons in your closet?"

"You mean the dead fiancé who came back to me as a metahuman so I could marry him and actually lose him all over again?" she asked.

"Oh, boy," Harry uttered, finishing his burger. "I couldn't beat _that_."

"No, you couldn't. But I'm fine. I think… I think I finally got over it."

"I can see that. I can also see that you're unusually strong, Snow. All you have to do is never let yourself break. Just keep on getting stronger."

"I'm trying to."

"And you're doing a hell of a great job."

"What do you say I leave you now so you could get that needed rest?" She smiled to him when getting up from her chair and picking up the empty bags.

"Is this a doctor's order?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, it is."

"Then I guess I should take that to heart. Goodnight, Snow."

"Goodnight, dr. Wells. I'll see you in the morning."

"It's Harry."

"What?" She turned in the door.

"You don't have to call me doctor."

"You call me Snow."

"That's different," he confessed, his voice already sounding half-asleep. "I like calling you Snow. It has nothing to do with officials." Then he was fast asleep and she just smiled before turning the lights off and finally leaving.

* * *

Wells was recovering unusually fast, the next day already able to get up and walk around, immediately getting back to work. Something changed, though as he seemed to avoid her and she couldn't understand why. One day – or maybe rather night – they were bonding and the next he could as well be worlds apart from her despite his physical presence. She did ask him all the necessary questions whether he was all right and if he had any pain, but after answering them in a detached voice he simply disappeared to his lab and didn't come out again. That was strange. Or maybe she simply managed to alienate him with her all too private questions the other night and now he was simply pushing her away, letting her know that their cooperation was over as they couldn't give Barry Velocity 6 anyway and that he didn't wish her company anymore.

Fine, then she wouldn't bother him, she decided, bristling. She didn't need him and she pretended that she didn't want his company for an entire day before finally admitting to herself that she so, so did. She knew all he could think about was his daughter that was still missing and that they hadn't moved even an inch in getting her back, but she couldn't help missing him all the same. She missed his company, the way he smiled at her and the way he treated her. With him she could be one hundred percent herself, even dropping complicated names and talking science and he would always understand her. She didn't have that with Barry or Cisco despite them being scientists as well. Harry was just smarter, simply a genius, his knowledge so vast, but then again, he was also significantly older than all of them. _Older_ , she pondered over that word, wondering whether she even cared.

But why would she? Nothing was happening anyway.

Well, maybe besides Christmas, Snow realized when Cisco just now strode inside the Labs and began decorating. A moment later Barry whooshed in and everything was already festive.

"Hey!" Cisco got mad. "I wanted to do it the normal way! It's much cooler!"

"Dude, we don't have time for that!" Barry reminded him.

"Spoilsport," Cisco only complained some more. "Cait, what's with you?" he then asked. "Are you ok?" She was just about to come up with something plausible enough to say when he continued, "I know this time of year is always hard on us and especially on you, you know, because of Ronnie, but we're all here for you. We won't leave you alone for Christmas!"

She smiled at him, thinking that it truly wasn't herself that she was worried about at the moment.

* * *

She did ask him to come over to Joe's house for Christmas. She actually made the effort and marched straight to his lab where she found him tinkering with some device as always.

He didn't even deign to look at her, so she basically talked to his back, feeling awful about it and actually hurt. It was as though those last few weeks hadn't even happened, as though they were back to the start, to him brushing her off in that bar she'd followed him into.

"Fine. Suit yourself," she eventually got angry. "Stay here and wallow all alone. See if we care," she told him before turning on her heels and striding off. She felt bad about it again since that just wasn't her. She wasn't this kind of a person. She made the effort to understand people and actually sympathize with them. She so didn't talk to them like _that_.

What she didn't see, though, was how Harry put away the instrument he was holding and then sighed heavily.

* * *

Caitlin didn't enjoy herself at all at the Christmas party. In fact, she hated every second of it and hated even more that everyone in there thought that Ronnie was the reason whereas he truly wasn't. In fact, she hadn't been thinking about him at all recently. Now, for a change, she wondered whether he was _the one_. In the end, she couldn't even figure that one out and her thoughts reached back to Harrison, damn it, and what he'd told her the other night.

"You know what's the thing you're just now standing under?" Jay's voice woke her up from her deep thoughts and she realized that it was mistletoe. What more, she realized with mortification that they were both standing under it and she so did not want to kiss him. She didn't even know he might be feeling about her this way after leaving the team, but then again, he'd been staring a lot that first time they'd met. Then Harry showed up and Jay just left, so she never figured she was important enough. Apparently, she was. It just sucked that she wasn't into this at all.

She quickly made her apologizes and sneaked out of the house, seeing that no one even noticed as they were all occupied with something else and she was the Grinch of this party. Great. Maybe she should get back to the Labs so she and Harry could be Grinches together.

She tried to imagine how it would be to actually have a child and watch it grow. To love her or him and always do your best to protect it. Watching this child grow into your own personal pride and joy, watching them grow into a wonderful person who never gave you any worries, just happiness. And then have _her_ being snatched away by a monster with no means of ever getting her back.

Snow was on her way back to the Labs before she could even think it through, still feeling awful about the way she'd treated Harry earlier even if he'd been a Grinch himself.

* * *

"Harry?" she repeated his name the third time in a row before he finally registered she was there, calling him and he stirred.

He was actually beginning to scare her, just sitting there on the stair in the cortex in the dark, being this strange powerful and coiled presence.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked when coming closer and joining him. Had Jesse's absence gotten to him so much today? "Listen, I'm sorry for what I said earlier," she decided to apologize to him. "I shouldn't have said that. I know that it must be so terribly hard for you to be away from your daughter when not even knowing…"

"I saw her today," he suddenly told her and she came to a stop, frowning.

"Um… what do you mean?" she eventually asked, scared that he started to see things out of grief.

"Zoom brought her to me just briefly… just for a few precious seconds I could hold her in my arms," Harry confessed and finally, he turned his face to her and she couldn't describe it by any other word but _haunted_. He was so distraught and tormented that it affected her as well and she desperately wanted to help him, but she didn't know how.

"You saw Zoom?" she asked then, her eyes opening widely.

"Oh, yeah. He made me a deal," Wells informed, looking down at his hands and playing with his fingers. "He wants Barry's speed, you know. If I find a way to give it to him, he'll give me my Jesse back. If I don't…" he didn't finish that sentence, but he didn't have to. Snow understood.

They were sitting in silence for a few minutes before she finally dared move and she gently put her hand on his arm.

"Don't… don't do that," he told her and she nearly took the hand away, terrified he hated that she was touching him when he added, "Don't try to make me feel better, Snow. I don't deserve it."

"The fact that you're sitting here, brooding, tells me you do," she assured him, squeezing his arm gently to give him some comfort. "You don't want to do this, do you? You don't really want to take Barry's speed."

"That would kill him. I mean, Zoom would kill him once that was done."

Caitlin nodded, swallowing hard. "Then don't do it."

"So what I am _supposed_ to do here?" he asked, looking her in the eye and she hated the pain she found in his blues. "If I don't do it, my daughter is going to die and I'm powerless to stop it from happening. If I do it, Barry dies. Zoom wins either way and I lose. We both know it's an impossible situation." His body actually shook a little and she was stunned to see a stray tear falling down his cheek. A tear which he quickly wiped away with his finger. "I can't let her die. I held her in my arms today and I… Snow, when he took her away, it broke me," he confessed and more tears flew. This time he didn't even try to stop them anymore, just being this broken mess.

And Snow began crying with him, realizing that somehow during those last few weeks he'd become very important to her and his pain become her own. She refused to see him like this and wanted desperately to help him. She didn't even think about Eobard when she saw him anymore, she just saw _him_ , _Harry_.

"If I do what's right, I'll lose Jesse," Harry whispered. "If I do what a father should, I'll kill Barry."

"No, that can't be right," she suddenly protested, shaking her head. "Those can't be your only options." As she said that, she reached for him, putting her arms around him, pulling him closer to her body, locking him up in her embrace.

She was sure he'd push her away, but somehow he didn't, clearly needing her. In fact, he hugged her back just as strongly, holding onto her, his body still shaking slightly.

"We'll tell the team," she decided for him, speaking those words into his neck. "We'll tell them the whole truth and we'll find another way. We're done playing Zoom's game. We'll invent our own and we _will_ get Jesse back."

Harry pulled away, looking into Caitlin's eyes and finding strength in her stare, finding strength in her and her words. He didn't know what he'd exactly done to deserve this, but he was still grateful.

Before they realized, they were looking at each other for way too long and from way too close. She suddenly brought a hand to his face to wipe one last tear from his cheek, just now realizing what she'd done and not understanding why her she wanted to touch him all the time. Could she really…? But that was just ridiculous, right?

Harry put her hair behind her ear and she almost thought he was going to kiss her as he looked at her lips, but… he pulled away then, taking a deep breath and running his hand through his already messy curls. She wished to do that again, too, but managed to stop herself.

"We'll tell the team," he agreed in a hoarse voice and then he stood up and left the cortex. "See you here in the morning, Snow."

She sighed heavily, feeling all the tension leaving her. What the hell was going on with her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We need more shirtless Harry on the show and so NOT in those circumstances. What do you, guys, think? And yeah, this is the slight AU I was talking about when I said I would use the canon but twist it around as the story progresses.
> 
> And again: I hate Jay. I hate Jay. I hate Jay. Did I mention I hate Jay?! Actually, as a villain I liked him, he was a great antagonist, but I hate him with Cait. And I hate her infatuation with him.


	5. Chapter 5

Caitlin didn't sleep well that night as she kept going back in her mind to the moment she shared with Harrison, trying to figure out exactly what it meant. They seemed to have bonded, the process starting right after he appeared in her life and somehow she couldn't stop it. No matter how much she tried to distance herself from him, she just couldn't, always coming back to him in her thoughts, always working herself up, thinking what she meant to him or maybe most importantly, what exactly _he_ started to mean to her. It wasn't like she would get anywhere with her wonderings since she knew that his priority now was his daughter and even if Jesse was safe and sound, what the future would even bring? A single man leaving his earth and joining their team on this one was one thing, but adding his daughter to the mix was too much, wasn't it? He wouldn't stay in the end.

And why the hell did she even have to think _that_?! Why would she think he'd stay once Zoom was taken care of? Did she actually _want_ him to? He hadn't been a part of her life for that long, but still, when she tried to picture the team without Harrison Wells, she just couldn't. Something was always missing or rather some _one_. Maybe he always belonged with them, no matter the earth he was coming from. Then again, she wouldn't trade this version of him for any other from any of potential worlds.

Eventually, she managed to slip into something resembling a shallow sleep, but woke up at six sharp and just couldn't spend another second in bed, even when knowing that she would be tired the whole day. She pushed the covers aside and got up, heading for the shower and half an hour later she was already approaching the Jitters, grabbing fresh bagels and some coffee for two.

The moment she walked into the cortex, she spotted him pacing back and forth and something told her that he hadn't slept well either that night, if at all.

"Good morning," she said when placing the bag she got on the desk along with her coffee. The second coffee she had, she just handed to him.

"Morning," he answered when raising his tired eyes to meet hers and then scratching the back of his head while eying the coffee. "For me?"

"Yes, Harry, for you," she confirmed. "That is exactly why my hand is reached out in your direction with said coffee in it." He didn't break a smile as he heard that. He just accepted the cup with a nod and took a sip.

"I…" he eventually picked up again before coming to a stop with a heavy sigh. "I guess… I'm sorry for last night," he then finished a little awkwardly, not able to even look at her at the moment.

"Don't worry about it," she quickly assured him. "I didn't mind being there for you and offering a helping hand." Or arm, she added in thoughts. Or body. Wait, _what_?!

She should've known that such a closed off man would surely be embarrassed about showing off his weakness in front of her, though.

"Still want to do this?" she eventually asked and finally, he deigned to look at her again.

"It's not like I have a choice anymore, is there?" he just asked. "I already told you everything."

She didn't know what to say to that. Did he mean that if he refused to tell the team the truth and try to steal Barry's speed for Zoom anyway, she would be the one to spill the beans? Then again, she didn't believe that he was actually considering changing his mind. Thinking about it, yes, that much she was sure of, because after all, it was about his daughter versus the people he barely knew.

"You always have a choice. In fact, people usually have a lot of them even when they think they don't," she said in the end.

"True," he agreed and then stuck his hands into the pockets of his pants once finished with the coffee and throwing away the cup.

In that moment, Barry, Cisco and Joe appeared in the cortex, talking about some criminals that the police had apprehended the night before.

They came to a stop when seeing both Snow and Harry just standing there, seeming kind of nervous.

"Um… hi?" Cisco started, looking from one to the other. "What's up, guys?"

Snow risked a glace in Harry's direction and on noticing how lost he seemed to be, she took the liberty of saying, "Harry has something he would like to tell you."

Now all the pair of eyes in the room were focused on the man in question, showing interest.

"Did you find a way to trap Zoom?" Barry wanted to know.

"No," the answer came. "But Zoom trapped me."

The three men did not expect to hear _that_.

"He told me that he'd give me my daughter back if I betrayed you. If I… stole Barry's speed," Harrison eventually explained. "I already figured out how to do it and…" before he managed to finish that sentence, Joe charged him and hit him straight in the face, drawing blood. And Harry should've known it would be his mouth next that would bleed, he thought when his hand got up to it on its own. He was still shocked with the sudden pain and he didn't even manage to pull himself together and hit Joe for a change when the man took another swing.

It was then that Caitlin reacted.

"Joe, stop!" she screamed and ran to Harry, standing between him and the other man. She did not anticipate that Joe wouldn't manage to stop himself in time and that he would actually hit her, though.

"JOE!" Barry roared, speeding up and holding his adoptive father back before he would cause more damage. Both he and Cisco were just now watching in horror as Caitlin lost her balance and fell backwards, straight into Wells' arms. Luckily, he caught her just in time.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?! You know, you can do whatever you want to me, but leave her out of this!" Harrison screamed in Joe's direction when holding the woman steady and then turning her gently around so he could see where she got hit. "Damn it, Snow," he whispered when bringing his hand to her face and brushing over the already swollen skin underneath her eye, "you just got yourself a black eye. Why would you even cover me like that?" he asked, his only concern now for her. He didn't think about his bloody lip, nor trying to get back at Joe. All that mattered was that she got hurt when trying to spare _him_ pain.

"I'm all right. I'll be fine," she assured him, stumbling and then holding on to his arms. And boy, maybe that was a mistake, she thought, feeling flushed all over as her fingers closed around firm flesh. She raised her eyes to meet his and found herself getting lost in the blue depths that were suddenly so full of care. Harrison's hand was still on her face and when he actually looked above Caitlin's arm at Joe, he quickly took it away since the other guy's eyes opened widely in surprise.

"What's with you two anyway?" he had the audacity to ask.

"With us?!" Wells growled, walking from behind Snow and shielding her with his body, though he knew that West wouldn't dare attack again anyway. "You could've seriously hurt her! You actually did!"

"Joe, what were you even thinking?" Barry asked his adoptive father in anger.

"That I knew he was going to betray us all from the moment he showed his face in here! Somehow he got Caitlin on his side, but I swear…"

"I'm not on anybody's side!" Caitlin raised her voice. "I just try to do what's right here! And you know what? Maybe I should've been on Harry's side all along!" She screamed when standing right next to Wells. "I'm just so sick of him proving himself to you over and _over_ again and you still seeing him for someone he is not! This man was given a choice," she continued and honestly, they very rarely saw her this angry, if ever, "he was to betray us or he wouldn't see his daughter again! And he couldn't do it! I actually told him that we could come up with a better idea since we're a team, but maybe I was wrong! We have to start trusting each other, guys! This is exactly what Harry did today and what did he get in return?"

"Caitlin, I'm… I'm sorry," Joe finally apologized. "I didn't think… I…"

"Oh, you didn't _think,"_ Harry interrupted, his voice full of venom. "At least you said something that's accurate about yourself for a change."

"Guys, just stop," Snow advised.

"Caitlin, I really am so sorry," Joe turned to her next. "I didn't mean to."

"But you mean to hit him all the same!" She pointed Harrison again. "And I won't have that here! We're working together as one team or not at all!"

"Ok, guys, calm down," Barry cut in again. "Joe's sorry. That's obvious. Can we just go back to what you were trying to tell us, Harry?" He turned to Wells.

The man in question sighed heavily and exchanged glances with Caitlin before finally continuing.

Once he finished, there was silence.

"This is the moment when we come up with brilliant ideas, guys," Caitlin eventually said, feeling worse and worse for Harrison with every passing second. She desperately wanted to help him, but didn't know how to anymore.

"We'll get your daughter back," Barry simply said and she frowned.

"Just like that?"

"Yeah. We'll go to Earth Two."

"What about Zoom?" Wells asked, his voice more hoarse than usual. Or maybe Caitlin just picked up on that because she paid more attention to him than to anyone else. She was still reluctant to admit what it meant.

"For now, we'll just focus on helping Jesse. I'm still not fast enough to face Zoom, but we will close all the breaches except the one we'll use," Barry answered.

Wells nodded and Snow smiled to him brightly. He just had to look at her again then and feel his heart melt under the power of that stare. Her eye did not look good, though.

"Snow, why don't we give you something for that eye? You need a compress."

"How's your lip?" she asked in return and finally, he broke half a smile.

"I'll live," he said, directing himself to her lab, determined to find something to ease her pain.

"Caitlin, once again… I…" Joe then made his way to the woman, but she brushed him off.

"It's ok, Joe. I'm fine. I understand that you didn't mean to hit me," she assured him. "But I also need you to trust Harry. I meant what I said. You have to get over it and just accept him as a part of the team. He is not going to betray us."

The detective sighed when running his hand over his forehead. "You two have gotten pretty close in that short period of time we've known him," he finally pointed out and Caitlin opened her mouth, but did not know what to say to that. She glanced at Barry and Cisco, talking about their upcoming trip to Earth Two.

"I…" she finally started, but was still unable to say anything.

"Just be careful. I hear you. I really do," Joe assured her. "The thing is that once his daughter's safe and Zoom's taken care of, they're coming back to their earth. Have no illusions about that, Caitlin. Jesse will always be the most important to him and I don't want to see you get hurt again."

Snow just smiled at him sadly and nodded. "Trust me, Joe, I know that." Eventually, she turned around and followed Harry.

* * *

Caitlin was happy that they would finally help Harrison get his daughter back, but what she wasn't happy about was the fact that he with both Barry and Cisco would actually have to leave for Earth Two in order to achieve that. And they might not get back from there if Zoom caught them.

For now, she pushed those dreadful thoughts away, focusing on the task at hand which was closing all the breaches except the one in the Labs just like they'd intended to do with Harry in the beginning. Before she knew it, it was all done and Barry was back, informing they could leave. To her it'd happened way too fast and now she would have to say goodbye to her friends and _Harry_. Was this what Joe had meant earlier? That if she let herself get too emotionally attached, that if she let her guards down and actually allow herself to _feel_ for the man, there'd be nothing but pain at the end of that road? And she'd already been through the worst and back. She'd already survived Ronnie's death. She so wasn't ready for more tragedy in her life. Then again, it might've been too late. She might've already gotten way too close.

Before she knew it, they all gathered up in the cortex. Jay was there, too as Barry called him, asking for help overseeing things on Earth One during his absence. It wasn't much of a protection since Jay still had trouble with his powers, but it would have to suffice.

Caitlin quickly hugged both her friends and then Harry was the last in line, already having nodded at Joe and Jay.

"Snow," he rasped her name in that special way only he could. "If we're not back in 24 hours, it means Zoom has us and that you need to close the breach," he informed and she didn't like that at all.

"That won't happen," she told him when meeting his eyes. In fact, the power of his gaze could scorch, which was remarkable, considering its cool color. "You'll be back safely. With Jesse. And I'll be here to welcome you," she added after a moment, still not ready to let him go.

He was still standing there, his eyes locked with hers, so he might've been just as reluctant to leave her as she was him.

"Thank you for being there for me when I needed a hand," he then said and she was surprised to hear that. After all, he hadn't exactly wanted to acknowledge her being there every step of the way and letting him lean on her before.

He was still staring and Snow's heart started beating faster when suddenly, he reached his hand to her face and placed it on her cheek, hesitating for a moment before leaning forward and pressing his lips gently against her own, kissing her.

At first, she just stood there, surprised that he actually did that. Then she relaxed underneath the light touch of his mouth and she kissed him back, discovering that she really liked and wanted it. That was the moment she stopped lying to herself, when she stopped postponing the inevitable, when she finally admitted she did care about him this way and a lot. That she'd actually developed feelings for him and even though she'd seemed to have known that from the very beginning, she still felt surprised by her discovery.

The kiss lasted a little longer than it should have, considering they weren't exactly alone, but she just didn't want to let him go, placing both her hands on his face and tasting him, deepening the kiss before finally pulling away and resting her forehead against his, her eyes closed.

"Whoa!" her brain registered Cisco exclaiming, but frankly, she didn't give a damn that they all witnessed this. She just wanted Harry to put his arms around her and kiss her again and take her out of there so they could be alone, but she knew better than to hope for it to happen. He needed to save his daughter first and then… Well, then she would have to brace herself for another heartbreak. Probably. But she didn't care for that now. All she cared about was the fact that she somehow started to _feel_ again and to actually feel so much, the fact that the object of her affections was Harrison Wells still causing her head to spin a little. Life always surprised you and worked in mysterious ways, right?

Caitlin finally opened her eyes, seeing his blues boring into her hazels and then she looked at the lip that was slowly healing. She gently ran her finger over it before lifting her eyes to his again and saying, "I'm sorry about this."

"It's not your fault," he assured her, trying to pull himself together after the kiss they shared. The first of many, he hoped. "I should've started that talk differently so they'd have no doubt."

"They never should have any," she still argued, finally letting him go as he pulled away. "Come back safely."

She saw so many emotions play across his face in that moment that her heart ached. In the end, he just nodded, his throat tightening and he simply turned to the breach, not looking at her again because it was too much. For now, he had to focus on his daughter and the fact that Snow was staying behind made it actually easier, because he didn't have to worry about her while saving the first.

"What was _that_?" Cisco asked Caitlin when passing right by her to get to the guys so they could leave.

"Just… don't. Not now," she refused to speak about it and eventually he just shrugged, shaking his head, his expression bordering between shock and amusement. "I guess now we really have to make sure he gets back, don't we?" After that, the breach swallowed them.

Barely had Caitlin managed to register that, she noticed sparks coming out of it, followed by a small explosion. It was Jay who pushed her out of the way in the last moment, saving her from being crashed by falling pieces of metal.

"What happened?" she asked, terrified.

"With the rest of the breaches closed, the energy surge to the last remaining breach must've… destabilized it," he explained.

"What does that mean?" Joe wanted to know, but Caitlin could only stare at the place where the breach had used to be, already knowing the answer and also knowing that they had very little time to try and fix it.

"As long as it's unstable, Barry and Cisco will be trapped over there."

Somehow Jay didn't mention Harrison when answering Joe and Snow wondered whether he was angry about what he just witnessed. After all, she hadn't wanted to kiss him under the mistletoe. She quickly abandoned those thoughts, though. Jay would be all right. She never gave him any reason to think something might develop between them. And now, all she wanted was just to get Harry back safely, preferably with Jesse.

* * *

"So, what are your intentions towards our lovely Caitlin?" Cisco asked Harrison as soon as they found themselves in his office and the excitement about being on another earth ceased.

Wells didn't answer, instead he just sighed and handed Cisco his goggles.

"Refusing to talk about it. Ok," Cisco acknowledged, taking the thingy and placing it on his face. "I get it. But just so you know, I ain't finished with you. Last time I checked she was from Earth One and you were from…" He looked around in admiration, "this beautiful world and with a daughter! Somehow I don't see you moving to my earth or her to yours. Not to mention the whole difference in age… How old are you, exactly?"

"Ramon?" Harry folded his arms across his chest.

"Yeah?"

"You think too much."

"But those are all valid questions! I'm just taking care of my girl here! You know how much she's already been through?"

"I also know that she's exceptionally strong and can handle anything."

"I think Cisco kind of have a point here, Harry. And it _is_ a little weird, considering Dr. Wells…" Barry started, still looking around the office and picking up various things.

"Don't touch that!" Harry warned him. "And how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not _him_?!"

"Obviously." Cisco nodded, looking at the older man through his goggles. "And apparently, she can see that clearly. Still…"

"All you need to know for now is that I do care about Snow. A lot," Wells finally admitted in a changed voice as though he was trying very hard to stop himself from showing any kind of emotions. "Now, can you _please_ already vibe Zoom?! So we could, you know, grab Jesse and maybe head back and close the breach behind us?"

"Just step away, ok? I need my space!" Cisco reached his hand out. "I can't perform like this under pressure, man!" he then added when apparently, he didn't vibe anything.

And just then Barry spotted his doppelganger on TV and Wells knew everything would soon go to hell.

* * *

"How is it going?" Caitlin asked nervously as she walked into the main lab to see if Jay maybe already fixed the portal.

"I need more time," he threw her way when reaching for, yet, another tool.

"That's just great because we may have another problem," she hinted with a dose of sarcasm, torn between getting him to step into the Flash's shoes and just leaving that problem to the police so he would fix the portal sooner.

"You care about him, don't you?" Jay suddenly asked when putting his tools away and facing her.

"What?" she asked, taken off track.

"Wells. You care about him. A lot."

"It just… I guess it snuck up on me," she finally admitted, not sure how to even talk about this with Jay.

He nodded, biting the inside of his mouth before saying, "You know he can't be trusted, don't you?"

She frowned on hearing that. "With all due respect, Jay…" she started, but he raised his hand then in a gesture of surrender.

"Fine. I won't get into this, but mark my words. When he gets his daughter back, he'll abandon you. In fact, he'll leave your team without a second glance because all that matters to him is himself and his own blood."

"See, this is where I need to disagree," Caitlin said bravely, but she was careful not to lose her temper. They needed Jay's help, after all, so she didn't want to make him angry. "His actions told me just the opposite. He could've betrayed us already and he didn't. Instead, he chose to do things another way."

"Whatever," Jay just said, walking in the direction of the cortex. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."


	6. Chapter 6

If Harrison thought Barry screwing up and getting himself kidnapped by Zoom was the biggest of his problems, he truly had to rethink that because now, as Cisco altogether with Allen and West from Earth Two were coming up with a plan of how to get to Zoom and free not one but two prisoners now, he just found himself staring at the picture of a metahuman known as Killer Frost. A metahuman who was actually the doppelganger of the woman he began to feel for more than he would like to admit.

Somehow his path never crossed the one of Caitlin Snow of his earth, the woman he was falling for being the first Snow he'd ever met; yet, seeing her like this, this evil, this… broken, somehow made him want to reach out and maybe help her, too. He would never admit that willingly, but he actually kind of understood now why Allen had to meddle in the affairs of his look-alike, Wells himself being dangerously close to doing that just because this woman looked like his Caitlin. Provided he could even call her _his_ , all of it being too complicated and leaving so much to figure out with Jesse gone, them coming from two entirely different universes and Zoom still on the loose in both the worlds. What had Harrison even been thinking when kissing her?! Well, that he might not come back from this, actually. It'd been so long since he'd kissed a woman and the feelings he'd found himself developing for Snow were so strong that he couldn't just leave without taking a chance. Besides, he was almost sure he would be killed, now that possibility only growing as they lost the Flash.

Why exactly had they lost him? Oh, yeah, because he'd just had to go and try help the doppelgangers of the people he loved, now one of them dead and himself kidnapped. Yep, Harrison decided right then and there that the woman from the picture was definitely not Caitlin Snow. It was a stranger and the white hair and incredibly pale complexion only helped him to believe that. He could not possibly meddle because Jesse's life was at stake here. Actually, Jesse's and Barry's now.

"Harry, are you ok?" Cisco suddenly asked him, seeing that the man had been staring at Caitlin's doppelganger's picture for way too long than necessary.

Eventually, Wells just nodded, swallowing and he took his eyes away from the woman on the picture, grabbing his gun and saying, "Let's do this."

* * *

It took him being even more mean than usual to build a wall around himself in order to distance his feelings and his heart from Killer Frost. Yet, the moment he stood with her face to face, something twitched in him and he had to fight his own natural responses. He wondered whether Caitlin actually had a chance of ending up like this, of becoming this metahuman, but then he put his own mind to rest when remembering how his watch had not reacted to her, indicating her lack of a metahuman gene. He could stop worrying. Yet, he refused to think of the impossible decision he would eventually have to make when things with Snow progressed further. Provided Jesse was saved and they were free to return to their earth, he truly had no idea what he would do then. He also had no illusions. He knew better than to think he could restrain himself. He wouldn't be able to do it. Not now, not after the incredible bitter-sweet goodbye kiss they'd shared, because every time he came back to that memory, it being the only fond one he'd had ever since Jesse had been taken, he just wanted _more_. Once Jesse was saved – and he refused to think of _if_ – all he wanted beside his daughter being all right was Caitlin. He found himself dreaming of her lips, soft skin, her body hidden underneath all those official clothes she wore for work. He just wanted to explore it all and discover what could be between them, consequences be damned. In fact, at this point he was done overthinking things and worrying about other problems. He couldn't care less for his own doppelganger, his predecessor dr. Wells or the age gap that was obviously there between him and Snow. If she wanted him, then she would hear no objections coming from him. It wasn't as though he had to put up with an older partner, so the decision was truly all hers. In the end, Harrison Wells of Earth Two just was who he was – usually a cold dick who didn't give a damn. The thing that struck him as odd was that Snow seemed to see more in him or at least enough to develop feelings for him as well. That would probably always remain a mystery to him.

"So, are you ready or not?" the voice of Snow, yet so changed and distorted that there was no way he could make the mistake and not tell those two apart, woke him up from his reverie and he found himself looking into those cold eyes of hers. He swallowed and just nodded, not able to say a word. He actually understood his new friends from Earth One more now. It must've been so hard on them to see him for the first time with the memory of dr. Wells AKA Thawne still fresh in their mind. Yet, it was Snow who'd done the most remarkable job of telling them apart and actually being able to feel for the latter what she couldn't for the first. This woman would always seem special to Wells just for that incredible insight she had into people.

Now he had to face a climb over an actual icy stairs, already seeing himself slipping and taking a fall down until his body would shatter on the rocks.

Well, it wasn't as though he had a choice… For his daughter he would climb Mount Everest on thin ice without a second thought.

* * *

Caitlin was truly getting more and more nervous. The metahuman, who was now wrecking havoc in the city, needed to be stopped and yes, they had Jay for that and Velocity 9 that was already cooked up in her lab seemed to be working for now, but with the Flash of Earth Two being out there, dealing with the crisis, there was truly no one so far trying to fix the broken device so the rest of their team could get back home _with_ Harrison and Jesse. Because once – Caitlin refused to think of it as _if_ – Harry got Jesse back, they would have to evacuate as soon as possible. Otherwise they might attract Zoom's attention and for all she knew, the monster could just kill them all this time. She didn't even want to imagine that worst case scenario, shaking as she just now saved Iris from their newest metahuman problem and honestly, she wasn't sure whether she was scared of him or the thoughts in her head. Maybe a little bit of both. She just wouldn't handle such a major loss as losing two of her best friends, the man she was somehow beginning to fall for and his daughter that she didn't even know but from what she already heard of her, was an incredible girl. In fact, Snow couldn't wait to meet her.

Luckily for them, soon enough the crisis was over and they immediately came back to solving the breach problem.

She just hoped they were on time.

* * *

Damn him and his hope, Harrison thought when finding himself grabbed by Zoom in the last possible moment. Damn him and his dreams of seeing Snow again.

At least Jesse was safe. The moment he could actually hold her in his arms with the surety that she wouldn't be taken from him again meant everything to him and filled his heart with newly found hope, with actual happiness. It'd been truly too long since he'd felt anything remotely similar, maybe coming close to it when in Snow's company or kissing her, but all of that was tainted. Tainted by the terrible and sinking feeling in his guts that his daughter was still in mortal danger, still at the mercy of a monster.

Now Jesse was free, probably already on the other side of the breach, already with Snow who, Wells was sure, would take a very good care of her. He just wished he'd rethought everything sooner, now actually regretting kissing Caitlin. And it wasn't for him, because when it came to him, he would carry that memory to the grave; it was actually for _her_. He knew well that she lost her husband, so he should've known better than to try and evoke any kind of feelings in her for himself.

Because he might not be coming back from _this_.

He suddenly remembered about the syringe he had in his pocket with a chemical concoction that he grabbed from Snow's lab. It might temporarily incapacitate Zoom – or maybe rather made him mad like it'd happened to Grodd - but he had to try. Yet, when he plunged it into the monster's flesh, he still had to figure out a way to get to the breach before the menace would catch up with him and this time definitely kill him on the spot.

* * *

Snow was watching the breach carefully, waiting; waiting for any kind of movement beside the whirling forces, any kind of sign that they might be coming back.

Just then she spotted something and before she knew it, there were three people jumping through. First a young woman, instantly losing her balance before steadying herself and looking around sheepishly. She was all dirty and shaken up and Snow realized it must've been Jesse. She did seem kind of surprised that the girl was so grown up already, but she quickly pushed those thoughts away and got to her, gently placing her hands on her shoulders and looking at her. The girl's eyes were nothing like Harry's, brown rather than blue, but she could still see something of her father in her.

"Are you all right?" Caitlin asked her then. "Jesse, right? You're safe here, Jesse. Nothing can get to you here, I promise. I'm Caitlin. Caitlin Snow."

The girl looked at Cait with uncertainty, but then she finally managed to break a smile.

"Hi," she said. "I see my dad somehow managed to actually make some friends."

The moment Caitlin heard that, she couldn't help it, she just smiled at the girl brightly, wondering whether Jesse could tell already that there was definitely something more _there_ than just friendship.

Only then she actually turned around in search of the man in question, wondering what was taking him so long and why he wasn't there when…

"Where's Harry?" her voice came out shaky and she looked at both Cisco and Barry in panic. "Guys, where is he?!"

This was so not happening, she began to tell herself. This just wasn't happening. Harrison would be back. He was just preoccupied with something, right?

Only the blank and confused stare she received from Barry told her the exact opposite and the next thing she knew, he was coming back into the breach.

"Barry, no!" Iris screamed, but he didn't listen and Snow was more than grateful for that.

They waited. Waited in anticipation for both of the men to jump through the portal, Jay ready to close the breach that very moment. It was still a miracle that he hadn't done it already and Caitlin couldn't be more grateful for that as well.

"Where's my dad?" Jesse asked and Snow could feel that the girl started to panic as well. "No! Dad!" She wanted to run forward and back into the breach, but Caitlin grabbed her, hating herself for it, but knowing in the same time that it was what Harry would expect her to do. He hadn't risked his life just for Jesse to throw it all away like this.

Finally, after maybe just mere seconds, but every single one felt like an eternity to Cait when she could just stand there, hold Jesse and pray that Harry was ok, feeling her heart beating so loudly and so fast that she was starting to get dizzy; there was movement in the breach again and to her great relief, Barry came back, dragging Harry with him. What more, the latter seemed to be all right.

"Oh, thank God!" Caitlin exclaimed when finally letting Jesse go and the girl just called the man dad and ran straight into his arms. He hugged her back, smiling brightly when burying his face in her messy hair and then he met Snow's eyes above Jesse's shoulder.

Caitlin's heart melted completely since she'd never seen such a bright smile on the man's face before and it truly made him look younger and so much more alive as though all the toll that Jesse being gone had taken on him, was gone now, dissolved and the true Harrison Wells emerged. And Snow liked him all the same, not able to stop herself when he reached one of his arms towards her and she just ran to him, letting him embrace her as well and snuggling her body to the other side of his.

They didn't think how that would look to the poor girl who'd been through way too much and had to deal with her father actually dating someone new now. Then again, they didn't have to explain anything or even answer any questions because Caitlin screamed, seeing above Harry's shoulder that Jay was still slacking off in closing the breach.

Suddenly, there was a fist emerging from the man's chest and he was pulled in.

* * *

While Jesse was taking a shower, they were all sitting in the cortex, still shocked by what they'd just witnessed. The Flash of Earth Two was officially gone. Dead. Killed. _Murdered._ And there was nothing they could do in the end. They should feel lucky that Barry had managed to get Harry before Zoom managed to do _that_ to him as well and Caitlin felt shivers running all over her body every time she thought of _what if_ … What if Barry had come back through one second too late? Would he then be actually taking in Harry's _body_?

Still, when not counting the initial shock of what happened and the grief that followed, there was also something else going on with the people who'd come back from Earth Two. They said they didn't want to talk about it and should just move on now that Zoom couldn't get to this universe with all the breaches being closed and all. So, maybe it _was_ the guilt, Sow tried figuring it out, maybe they simply felt guilty about leaving an entire world at the mercy of a monster whereas they were all safely back here. Maybe that was it.

"I'm gonna go and check up on Jesse," Harry finally broke the silence, grabbing the bags Barry had gotten for them a few minutes ago from the Big Belly Burger.

Cait frowned at that since that was just another strange thing. Ever since he let her go after they witnessed Jay's death, he seemed distant somehow and even avoided her eyes. She had no idea what that might be all about since he hadn't even been acting this way the moment they'd met.

In the end, as the team slowly dispersed, everyone heading to their respective homes, Caitlin stayed behind, assuring Cisco that she would be ok and needed to check up on Harrison before she, too, would go home. Her friend just sent her a sad smile and yet, there was also something else in those eyes of his, some hidden _fear_ (?) or a painful memory. She still couldn't quite figure it out and started wondering what horrors did they exactly see on the other earth. She decided maybe Harry was the best person to ask that question, but then again, he'd also acted very strange towards her.

Without another thought, Snow walked down the hall and straight to the guests rooms that were in the Labs, one of them now occupied by both the father and his daughter.

She wanted to knock on the door gently in fear they might be sleeping, but she quickly discovered it being ajar, so she peeked inside, seeing Jesse sleeping soundly in bed and Harrison just sitting on his own while watching her.

She pushed the door open all the way and walked inside on her fingertips as she didn't want to make too much of unnecessary noise with her heels.

"Harry?" she asked in a whisper and he stirred, just now realizing she was there. "Are you ok?" He nodded, but his eyes were still set on his daughter.

Honestly, Snow wasn't entirely sure her presence was even welcomed in the room, but she couldn't just leave it like that. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep if she didn't find out what was really going on.

She made her way to the bed and sat down by the man's side, watching Jesse as well. The girl seemed peaceful, finally free of worries as she could be sure that Zoom wouldn't get to her and that her father was close by. Yet, Caitlin didn't feel all that good about what they'd done. It wasn't as though they had a choice in the matter, just trying to protect their lives and lock Zoom out, but in the long run, she couldn't imagine they could just go on with their lives, knowing he wrecked havoc on another earth without the Flash there to protect it.

Yet, tonight was not the time for such thoughts.

When Harry still refused to look at her, she just had to ask with an aching heart, "Are you avoiding me?"

He was silent, still as a statue. In fact, she was even afraid to reach out and touch him for fear he might recoil.

"Harry, what changed, exactly?" she then asked carefully, trying not to feel the pain his blatant disregard caused her. "Do you regret…?" she then started when he suddenly cut in, "No, that's not it."

And there was silence again, only broken by his heavy sigh.

"Then tell me what's wrong, because I don't understand," she admitted, watching his features in the dimmed light coming from the small lamp on the bedside table. "You were so happy when you came back and now… I just… I just don't think it's Jay's death that got to you so much since you were never fond of the guy."

"No, that's not it either," he admitted and finally, he slowly turned his head and she actually got scared by the tormented look in his eyes.

"Harry, it's gonna be ok," she assured him then. "Jesse's safe and I'm here and you're ok…"

"We promised, you know?" he then said as though he didn't even hear her words.

"What?"

"Before we left my earth, we promised never to speak of what happened there, of what we saw and…" he hesitated before finally revealing, " _whom_ we met."

"I… I don't understand," Snow admitted in confusion.

Harrison released another heavy sigh and brought his hand to his face to rub his tired eyes.

"I can't. I just can't not say anything, because… Ah, Snow…" he sighed, yet, once again and now she was truly starting to be scared. She tentatively reached her hand to his and eventually took it, giving him comfort, though still scared he might push her away in the end. He didn't, so that was a good sign.

"It was Killer Frost," he eventually said and she frowned.

"I beg your pardon…?"

"She was… _is_ … your… doppelganger," he finally revealed and Caitlin sucked in a breath, taking her hand away and feeling as though she couldn't breathe.

Ok, she was most definitely familiar with doppelgangers, one of them actually sitting right next to her, but _her own_? Somehow during all that time she hadn't even thought she might have one on his earth.

"What…?" she started hoarsely and stopped. "What was she like?" she finally got it out.

"She was… a metahuman, hence the strange name," he started explaining, turning his eyes away from her and back to his daughter who was still sleeping soundly, probably beyond exhausted after weeks spent in captivity. "She wasn't…" he hesitated, "good," he finally said. "But also wasn't you," he then assured Caitlin when looking at her again and seeing she was scared. "Hey, Snow," he turned to her and placed his hands on her face, looking her deeply in the eye, "she wasn't you just like I'm not the Wells you knew."

"You know, the thing is that I never knew the real Wells," she reminded him.

"That doesn't matter. I also met the doppelgangers of Allen, West and Ramon there and they were nothing like you, guys."

"You did?" that piqued her interest.

"Of course. Ramon was evil, too."

"Ok. That's…" Caitlin closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath while Harry took his hands away. "That's too much. I can actually see how… how you might want to keep all of that a secret in the end," she admitted.

"I couldn't. I'm sorry, but I… I just couldn't. You mean too much to me and I wouldn't be able to lie to you like this," he confessed.

She actually smiled sadly on hearing that.

"I just…" Harry sighed before leaning forward and hiding his face in his hands. "I finally understood why all of you were so apprehensive to meet me. Why you couldn't trust me."

"I did my best to see you for who you truly were."

"I know and I'm so grateful for that, but I can see now how difficult that must've been and the fact that you've actually… well, I don't want to be too presumptuous here, but you did develop actual feelings for me, didn't you?" he asked when risking a glance at her.

"I wouldn't have let you kiss me otherwise," she told him with an amused smile.

"Which is still a mystery to me," he admitted, straightening up.

"What do you mean?"

"There's still so much we need to talk about, so much we needle to settle. There are so many unresolved issues when it comes to my earth and then… there are more things that put us apart rather than close, Snow. You do realize that, don't you?"

She didn't know exactly what to say to _that_ , so eventually she settled for, "None of that matters if… if we really do like each other."

"Well, that one goes without saying. I thought I made it clear already," he finally broke a small smile. "I'm just still at awe that it seems to be so easy for you to tell me apart from my evil counterpart, to even… pardon me for saying this, but to even kiss me when you see his face."

"You're not him," she simply said. "The look in your eyes is completely different and though you look the same, you move differently and talk in a different manner as well. You're a completely different man, Harry."

He nodded, running a hand over his mouth. "And she wasn't you either. Though… honestly, Cait, in the end I did see a glimpse of you in her and maybe that was exactly what terrified me. She… she actually saved me and Jesse from Zoom. He got to us and if… if it wasn't for Killer Frost, we'd all be dead now."

It took a moment for Cait to process that information before she finally said, choosing a playful tone rather than serious, "So I guess you can move back to your earth now and find her."

"Don't be ridiculous. She would kill me with barely a touch."

"Yeah, that wouldn't work out for you," Snow decided, doing her best not to be jealous, which was ridiculous. If so, she should feel grateful to her own doppelganger for possessing at least a little of her goodness inside. And a little was enough to save the man she had feelings for and his daughter.

"There might be a glimpse of compassion in her eyes, but in the end it wasn't really for me as a man," Harry then assured her when taking her hand into his and running his fingers gently over her skin. "I just said that to make you jealous."

Snow burst out laughing, then glanced at Jesse to make sure the girl was still sleeping. It wouldn't do her any good to wake up and see her father holding hands with the nice lady from team Flash. She shouldn't find out like this.

"Zoom killed…" Harry stopped again, not sure how to say this so it wouldn't cause Snow pain, but eventually he just did it, ripping the band aid, "he killed Ronnie. And she let us get away to have her revenge."

Caitlin stilled, not saying anything and eventually Harrison figured she wouldn't.

Then, finally, she told him, "I guess I always lose him no matter the world."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I got over it. What matters to me right now is that you are here and that you're safe," she assured him when resting her head on his shoulder.

He pulled an arm around her and then said, "Thank you, Snow, for everything. I wouldn't have done this without you."

"Oh, you would, still."

"Maybe," he agreed, "but you were the voice of my conscience through it all and for that I will be eternally grateful."

"You're so welcome," she told him when she pulled away. "You should get some sleep now."

"Where are you going?"

"Home. I'll see you in the morning. You should be here when she wakes up," Caitlin pointed Jesse, "and it won't do her any good to wake up to us snuggling on your bed. See you tomorrow?" she asked with a smile, not really wanting to leave him but not seeing any other option. After all, they had time now to see where this, whatever it was between them, would go.

"See you tomorrow," he agreed and then she leaned forward, placing a soft but full of promise for the future kiss to his lips before walking out of the room and heading home.

God knew she wanted nothing more than to kiss Harrison some more, but she knew once she did that, they wouldn't be able to stop themselves. The fire was already ignited. They just needed the right time to let those flames consume them and it wasn't tonight. For now, Caitlin was just happy to have him back safe and sound on her earth.


	7. Chapter 7

When Caitlin walked into the cortex the next day, she could feel the heavy atmosphere there, probably prompted by Jay's death and the bitter-sweet victory that didn't feel like one at all. The passage to Earth Two was now closed, yes, and they were safe, but in the same time an entire other world was just left at the mercy of a monster. Still, that wasn't the only thing that seemed to be bothering both Cisco and Barry as Cait just now realized, walking over to her desk.

Eventually, Cisco blurted out, "I can't believe Harry told you!"

She looked up from her computer on which she was checking the news regarding her field of expertise, frowning at the research being conducted just now and already knowing it wouldn't work because she herself had already tried it. Not that she'd actually published the results of her work, but then again, she wasn't exactly hired to be a renown scientist for some grand company at the moment. She was just a member of team Flash, yet, she wouldn't trade her job for anything. She loved it and the people she worked with way too much.

"That Harry told me what?" she asked her friends, not following.

"We made a deal that we wouldn't tell our friends of their respective doppelgangers," Cisco explained in exasperation. "And the both of you already broke the rules!" He turned to Barry now.

"What was I supposed to do?" Allen eventually asked. "Joe and Iris are my family, Cisco, and not saying anything felt like I was lying to them."

"Because you were," Harry threw his way when entering the cortex, wearing a quite morose expression on his face. He went straight to Caitlin, handing her a cup of coffee and kissing her cheek to which Barry and Cisco pulled stunned faces, still not able to process _that_ happening.

"I took Jesse for breakfast at the Jitters this morning," Wells explained and Caitlin sent him the sweetest smile when accepting the coffee and taking a sip. It was her favorite, after all.

"And where's coffee for us?!" Cisco wanted to know.

"There isn't." Harry just shrugged, not even caring.

"Oh, man! … By the way," the younger guy started again, "how's not telling someone something lying to them?"

"It is. When it concerns them," Wells voiced his opinion, taking off his ball cap and ruffling his hair. "That's why I told Snow."

"And I'm glad he did. I'm also sure that it's better for Iris and Joe to know as well," Caitlin agreed.

"What's happening? Back me up here, man!" Cisco turned to Barry with a terrified expression on his face. "I mean… those two… It's still a shock to me!"

"Why?" Wells just asked gruffly. "Because I'm older than she is? I thought we lived in twenty first century and… actually, as I think of it some more, relationships with age difference have _always_ been a thing, even ones with one that was twice as big."

"Twice as big? Are you even serious?" Barry seemed to be slightly appalled to which Harry only shrugged.

"I don't think my earth's history differs from yours _that_ much," he responded when placing his hands on his hips. "Hundreds of years ago it was ok to give away one's fourteen year old daughter to a man of sixty or more years old."

"Yeah, disgusting," Cisco voiced his opinion on the matter when pulling a face and then actually recoiling. "But still no what I meant."

"You meant that they come from two different earths?" Barry tried guessing.

"Nope. Still not it. That is actually very cool like star-crossed cool," Cisco decided and Caitlin frowned, thinking it being the most difficult obstacle when it came to her and Harry. Not that they had this problem _now_ as the breaches were closed, but maybe one day they would open them back up again and what then? "I meant the obvious that you all seem to be forgetting – he looks just like dr. evil."

"He is so _not_ Eobard Thawne," Caitlin immediately disagreed, folding her arms over her chest, her frown only deepening.

"Sure he isn't! I actually _liked_ that guy… before I knew he was evil, that was… but that's still not the point! Dah! You, Caity, fell for a jerk!"

A pen flew Cisco's way and he had to duck in order to avoid it; Harry being the one to chuck it, of course.

"Hey!"

"It's all your fault," the older man just said and in that moment Jesse entered the cortex, still being a little shy around all those new people who'd risk their own lives to save hers.

The appearance of the girl put an end to the whole conversation and now all that was left was the awkward silence. Cisco actually looked from Harry to Caitlin and to Jesse in interest, wondering how much the latter knew.

In the end, Jesse surprised her father when saying after releasing a heavy sigh, "Are you serious, dad? You'll just keep hiding this from me, hoping I – what? – won't find out? Do me a favor and stop trying to spare me, ok?" There seemed to be some double meaning hidden in her words and Caitlin wondered whether it was because the girl was still shaken up after Zoom and shocked when having to actually move to another earth and cut herself out of her own life or maybe she just didn't like the woman her father was dating… The second option would be too horrible to stand, Snow decided, scared that it might be it. And then Jesse added on seeing the stunned look Harrison gave her, "Oh, come on! You were having that whole relationship conversation while you thought I was sleeping! Which I didn't, by the way."

"Jesse…" Harry said and stopped, truly being at loss for words. "Can I have a moment with you?" He quickly pulled her back into the corridor, still hearing Cisco calling, "Awkward!"

"Just stop, will you?" Caitlin immediately shushed her friend down.

"Dad, no, I don't need some one on one time for you to apologize and start coming up with millions of excuses to why this happened and all," Jesse said when pushing his hand away when he tried to put it on her shoulder. "I'm fine, really. I'm not mad. I'm actually happy for you."

He could just stare at her with his stunned blue gaze, still marveling at the simplest of facts that she was safe and back with him and that now he had to add the whole Snow situation to this confusing mess their lives on this earth had become.

"Oh, don't look at me like that!" Jesse quickly told him off. "I thought that it was actually sweet what you two said to each other. All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy, ok? And if she makes you happy, dad, then I have no objections. In fact, I've wanted you to find someone for a very long time now and I nearly gave up."

"Well, it was obvious to me that some other woman could never replace your mother," Harry said in a hoarse voice, feeling rather awkward to have this conversation with his daughter. He was so not prepared for it and it wasn't as though he was a man who found it easy to talk about his feelings.

"Dad, I never wanted you to find me a stepmom," Jesse made it clear when rolling her eyes at how thick he could actually be. "I just want _you_ to be happy with whomever _you_ choose. God knows I lost my hope for that a long time ago and of course it took you having to actually travel to a whole other universe to find her. But I'm glad you did in the end. She seems great, by the way. I think I'm going to like her and a lot."

Finally, Harrison broke a smile, "What can I say? You were always the quick one, my Jesse Quick."

"And you are the slow one. At least when it comes to feelings," she agreed.

"Really? Because I recall you finishing four majors before I even had two when being your age."

"What can I say? You created a genius! Now, let's get back in there!"

Harry nodded, feeling relieved. He was so taken with Snow that he couldn't even imagine not making that step in her direction, so if his daughter didn't like it, he honestly didn't know what he would do.

* * *

"What happened?" Harrison asked when returning to the cortex with his daughter and finding the team deeply immersed into some issue that must've just now come up.

"King Shark. He's escaped A.R.G.U.S.," Barry informed and Wells frowned.

" _King Shark_?" he asked. "That's a terrible name, even for you Cisco!"

"I beg to differ, _Harry_!" the younger guy immediately disagreed.

"See? I told you! After all, you were the one who came up with Harry!"

"To tell you apart from your evil counterpart!" Cisco argued and then he noticed the look on Jesse's face. "You don't know anything about that, do you? Let me fill you in…"

"So, what about that King Shark?" Wells asked with a sigh when making his way to Snow. He guessed team Flash never had the time to just relax and do something with the people they wanted to be with. Maybe the word _vacations_ didn't even exist in their vocabulary.

The small smile Caitlin sent him before quietly asking whether everything was ok with Jesse immediately made him feel better and he couldn't answer any other way but by _perfect_.

* * *

Caitlin was surprised to discover that Jesse followed her into her lab when she offered to come up with a chemical solution that would temporarily incapacitate King Shark and make it possible for him to be captured. Harry's daughter quickly explained that she'd finished four majors in college, one of them actually being Caitlin's field of expertise and one Harry's. Snow couldn't help but have the strangest of thoughts that if she and Harry ever had kids, she would want them to be just like Jesse, maybe even look quite similar. She knew she wasn't Jesse's biological mother, but she still found some things both of them had in common like their love for science or even the color of their hair. And all those thoughts were completely ridiculous, she had to stop herself right then when working alongside the girl and actually beginning to bond with her. She and Harry hadn't even gotten to the stage in which she should worry about getting pregnant, so she had no idea where all those silly ideas were even coming from. Not that she would mind getting _there_. Damn it, she was really too far gone, wasn't she? She hadn't even known the man for all that long and already couldn't imagine her life without him, her _future_ away from him. She really refused to think of what _if_ he decided to come back to Earth Two…

"Are you ok?" she then heard Jesse asking. "You know, you don't have to worry. I do like you and I really am happy that my dad finally found someone, Caitlin. Can I call you that?"

"Of course you can," she smiled to the girl brightly. "And I wasn't exactly worried about _that_."

"Yeah, leaving Earth Two for Zoom to conquer still doesn't lie well with me either," the girl admitted. "I mean, all of my friends are there. All of dad's co-workers…"

"I'm sure they'll be fine. I'm sure that eventually we'll find a way to stop Zoom," Caitlin said just to put Jesse's mind to rest, but the truth was that she didn't really believe that and it was so not what she'd initially been worried about. She couldn't tell her truth, though. The girl didn't deserve to be put in the situation when she would have to choose between taking her father back to Earth Two at the expense of leaving Caitlin behind and staying on an entire new earth herself.

In that moment, Caitlin knew she really needed to come back to her senses. She couldn't keep having those ridiculous thoughts or else she'd go crazy. She didn't even get past the first kisses stage with Harry to even begin wondering about his living arrangements for God's sake!

* * *

Caitlin felt quite frustrated. Barely the crisis involving King Shark was over, they had their hands full of a new meta, a speedster who called herself Trajectory and therefore Harry and her didn't really have the time to go on a real date. And she would really like that, she didn't even try to hide it and when they were briefly left alone in the cortex he did promise to take her somewhere and finally, when the next day even Trajectory seemed to have taken vacations, he told her to grab her coat because they were going to the Jitters for lunch. Maybe it wasn't exactly fancy, but Snow realized they couldn't plan anything in advance as they never knew where the next meta would come from and, most importantly, they had no idea how to conceal Harrison's identity. Striding into a restaurant with a ball cap on at all times didn't seem like such a good idea to Caitlin. If so, it was disrespectful to the place and circumstances and she was ready to just tell him that some takeout from the Big Belly Burger would be all right as all she truly cared about was the company.

They managed to get through lunch with no problems, actually enjoying themselves, just talking about their respective pasts - Caitlin's issues with her mother after her beloved father's death and Harrison's issues with loneliness and being a single father, never truly interested in any woman as they'd all seemed to hit on him because of his work position and the billions on his account. Snow actually choked when hearing that number, but she shouldn't be surprised, really. Where he was coming from, he was a successful entrepreneur, running one of the most prosperous companies in the world that offered the newest breakthroughs in technology like every week, so maybe she should have known.

She just couldn't imagine him as someone with so much money, as someone so powerful that everyone basically either bowed to him or wanted to use him. To her he was just Harry, a somewhat broken man with a past and a teenager daughter that would soon turn eighteen. And she didn't forget to tell him that, minus the _broken_ part, that was.

He only chuckled before saying, "Well, I guess that's why I found myself opening up to you, Snow. Because you see a human in me, a _man_ , not my bank account or fame."

She only smiled in response and then actually reached her hand to touch his, finding this so natural, so inevitable that she felt exhilarated. In fact, she was beaming with happiness and even Jay's brutal demise that was still so fresh in her memory couldn't make her feel worse.

Eventually, they paid the bill, leaving a pretty big tip as Harry mentioned he could afford it, earning himself an outburst of merry laugher from his companion; and they headed back to S.T.A.R. Labs.

"I really enjoyed myself," Caitlin told him when they walked down the streets, holding hands, a gesture that again came so naturally to them it was truly overwhelming. And the way this man made her feel… like anything was possible, like she was finally going to get her happy ending. He made her feel everything _right_ and she couldn't help but stop near the Labs and turn to face him before she kissed him.

He kissed her back immediately, finding a rhythm with her lips until their kisses grew stronger and Caitlin felt dizzy out of the sudden, just about ready to suggest going to her apartment nearby instead when…

Both their cells started ringing in the same time, Harry's actually a courtesy of Cisco as his own didn't work on this earth.

They were forced to break the kiss, albeit reluctantly.

"Here it goes," Harry sighed when checking his phone. No one really called them. It was the alarm which actually seemed like a much worse alternative. It meant it was an emergency and they closed the remaining distance from the building when running.

They were stunned by finding Trajectory standing in the middle of the cortex with a gun pointed at…

"Jesse!" Harry immediately called his daughter's name, scared for her life whereas Caitlin had no idea what to do or how to help.

Soon enough, that part became much clearer when Trajectory demanded the speed drug, so they both rushed to prepare it, their romantic time alone long forgotten as now they were doing everything they could to help his daughter.

Still, when Trajectory got the drug, she tested it on Jesse and after that, the girl went into shock, falling down with white foam already appearing on her lips.

Snow paled when getting to her with Harrison by her side. He was clearly going out of his mind, yet again, so she knew she had to keep her cool.

"She needs blood like… _now_ ," she informed quickly. "What type is she?"

"PC negative," Harry answered and before Caitlin could make sure she heard it right, Cisco called out, "Yeah, that's not a thing on this earth, man!"

"Doesn't matter! I'm a match!"

* * *

A while later, Caitlin was watching Harry sitting by his daughter side, giving her his blood. It was so obvious to her how much he actually loved Jesse that it ached, because in the end she knew he would always choose _her_.

"Hey, Cait…" Barry stood by her side, looking at the people inside the lab, too. "Don't worry. Trajectory is gone. She can't hurt anyone anymore."

"I know." Snow nodded. "I just… Barry, can you see how attached he is to her?" she asked, looking at her friend. "How can I ever pull him away from her? I couldn't."

"What, wait?" Barry frowned. He seemed surprised to hear that. "Cait, stop, just… stop. You're thinking too much. Stop worrying what may or may not happen and just grab your happiness while you can, ok?"

"But it's obvious that Harry can't keep her away from her own earth indefinitely."

"Maybe he can, who knows?" Barry sighed when rubbing his eyes. "Zoom's still a threat there. And it makes me feel so awful that we closed the breaches. I just keep seeing all those people he could've hurt by now."

"Barry, I hear you, I do," Caitlin assured him when placing her hand on his shoulder briefly, "and I feel the same way, but we have to admit that maybe right now we just can't defeat Zoom."

"Maybe we should've tried harder," Barry argued. "If only we knew who he was. Maybe then we could come up with some kind of a plan."

"It seems to me that now you are the one who thinks too much," she pointed out.

"Touché," he agreed, forcing a small smile to his lips. "But you should really stop worrying about insignificant things, Cait. You're forgetting that Cisco's a meta. Even if Harry decides to come back to his earth to be there with Jesse for a while, Cisco can breach you in and out anytime. Just because you're from different worlds, it doesn't mean you have to end up apart in the end."

Caitlin nodded, tears shining in her eyes as she smiled at Barry. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now… I really need to get some res…" Barry didn't finish as they heard Cisco calling them, so they gathered up in the cortex, even Harry joining. And good, Caitlin thought, because he'd already given Jesse way too much of his blood. She made a mental note to herself to remind him that he needed to eat something sweet and then get some rest.

"Guys… I know how this is gonna sound, but…" Cisco started, clearly terrified. "You remember how Trajectory's lightning turned blue when she injected herself with all those drugs and how she eventually dissolved into nothing?"

"All too well, actually," Barry admitted when folding his arms on his chest, waiting for more information.

"She was sick. Her cells were deteriorating just like… well, Jay's," Cisco continued.

"It's nothing new," Caitlin said, not understanding where her friend was going with this.

"Yeah, but then… Zoom's lightning was all blue and every damn time I'm around this thing," Cisco pointed at Jay's helmet, the only thing they had left from him, "I'm having all those strange vibes about… Zoom. I'm just saying… Wouldn't it be too crazy if Jay actually…?"

"Pretended to be the Flash when he was actually the villain?" Harry asked. "Deceived us all? Befriended us so we would make him a cure because he was Zoom and was actually _dying_? Yes, I wouldn't be surprised about _that_."

They all looked at him in said surprise now, but he didn't seem to be affected by those glances at all.

"There's only one way to find out," Barry said in a shaky voice as he walked straight to the glass case in which they kept the helmet and broke it, handing the thingy over to Cisco.

The look on Cisco's face after he vibed it couldn't be mistaken for anything else.

He was right.

Jay was Zoom.

And he was very much alive.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Cisco's worst suspicions were confirmed, rendering the entire team speechless as once again they let themselves be deceived and betrayed by a speedster. Caitlin's hand found Harry's and she laced her fingers through his in a desperate need of comfort. She had to reassure herself that they hadn't been handing over their trust blindly for nothing. She needed a reminder that it was ok to risk it all again just to get closer to someone, because one of those someones could become somebody very special. Eventually, she turned to him and sought comfort within his arms, clinging to his body and burying her face in the fabric of his sweater while breathing him in. She really didn't want to think about the fact that at first it was Wells she'd felt so reluctant to trust, not Jay. Though Harry had quickly broken through all of her defenses not by his words, but through actions whereas Jay had done exactly the opposite. Not that that made the betrayal any less painful now.

"We should've known the guy was shady from the beginning!" Cisco said when placing his hands on his head in a hopeless gesture. "He barged in here, telling us a cute little story of how he was the Flash and how Zoom was actually his nemesis as we just fell for it!"

"Cisco, it's not like we could've known," Barry tried comforting him. "I… we all trusted him and…" He closed his eyes and shook his head before speeding away. They all guessed he needed to be alone for a moment since he'd trusted Jay so easily, sought his advice, actually let the man _teach_ him something about his powers, just like he had let the Reverse Flash.

"Wrong," Harry pointed out when letting go of Snow and turning to Ramon. " _I_ told you all not to trust the guy!"

"Yeah! And he said the very same thing about _you_ , Harry!" Cisco argued. "So can we just stop bouncing this ball back and forth?"

"You're the one who started it!"

"Shut it! Both of you!" Caitlin suddenly yelled and they both listened, looking at her in surprise. "We can't argue about this now. What we really need to do is unite and work together to take this guy down!"

"How?!" Cisco asked. "In case you haven't noticed, we did promise to close the breaches and never open them back up!"

"And that was a mistake," they suddenly heard Barry's voice coming from behind them and they turned to see that he was back. "We shouldn't have done it and we all know it. Guys, I can tell it's not just me who thinks it was wrong. We need to do something about that. We need to help the people on Earth Two instead of just leaving them at Zoom's mercy. Especially now that we know his identity and his weakness."

"Exactly!" Caitlin called out, pointing her finger at Barry. "I tested Jay. And now that we saw what happened to Trajectory, we can find out more. We may actually come up with an idea to stop him, to maybe deplete him of his powers entirely."

"I like that idea. Let's try it," Harrison quickly backed her up.

"Cisco, we're gonna need you to open up a breach for Zoom," Barry turned to his friend then.

"What? You do realize I don't exactly get a hang on those powers, do you? I'm not even sure…"

" _Ramon_ ," Harry just hissed, "you can do it."

* * *

While Harry and Barry took it upon themselves to help and teach Cisco – which would rather be Harry yelling and trying to prompt the guy into action while Barry just stood there, voicing his encouragements – Caitlin went straight to her lab to experiment some more on Jay's blood.

In the end, none of it got them anywhere and they met again in the cortex a few hours later. It was then that they discovered Jay Garrick was not Zoom's real name and indentified him as Hunter Zolomon, a serial killer from Earth Two who was supposed to be executed the night when the dark matter was released. It took them a moment to digest the fact that a murderer instead of being killed, ended up with superpowers, but at least now they knew exactly whom they dealt with, even if feeling a little sick.

"Guys," Cisco said just then, determined to act, "I think it's time we got him."

* * *

Only they didn't, ending up in an ever bigger mess than they'd been before, with Wally, long lost son of Joe's, kidnapped by Zoom. The monster threatened that the only way to get the boy back would be for the Flash to give up his powers. They all knew they were trapped with no way of defeating Zoom and an innocent life at stake. Harrison, not prepared to lose his daughter again, actually told her to hide in the time vault.

They didn't seem to have any choice left, all the resources and technology available running out and Wally still being gone and in danger.

"I have to do this," Barry finally said in defeat to the distress of his team members, Snow's hand actually searching for Harry's until she held it again. "I have to give him my speed."

"And what then?" Joe West asked, terrified for his biological son's life, but also concerned about his adoptive one. "You won't be able to fight him."

"Once Wally's safe, we'll take it from there, Joe. We know there's no other choice here. Cisco? Can you vibe Zoom and let him know?"

"Barry, just think about it man."

"There's nothing to think about. There's no other choice. Let's do this."

Caitlin's hold on Harry's hand only tightened and he had a brief thought of just dragging her away from this place to somewhere they would be safe until all of this was over. He knew better, though. He knew she would never abandon her friends.

It was then that Zoom showed up, a victorious smirk on his face; Wally by his side.

* * *

They all felt sick when watching Barry on the treadmill, giving away his speed until there was nothing left and his running gradually slowed down as he couldn't take the pace anymore and just stopped, lowering his head in defeat.

Zoom immediately grabbed the syringe with the speed and injected himself before getting to Barry, who now was only human, and holding him up by the throat.

"No!" Caitlin screamed and before Harrison could stop her, she ran into the lab, desperately trying to stop Zolomon from murdering her friend. "No, Jay, please, stop!"

To her astonishment, he looked at her with eyes so hungry that it scared the hell out of her. Just then she reminded herself that he was, indeed, attracted to her and started reconsidering her foolish move. For all she knew he could easily kill them all; Barry out of spite, her because she could never reciprocate his feelings, not even before she knew the truth about him and, most importantly, he could kill Harry just because she'd chosen him. They could all be dead today. They could all lose their friends. And a daughter might lose her father…

Still, Snow knew she had to try her damn hardest, because there were just too many lives at stake.

"Jay, please, stop!" she repeated, tears welling up in her eyes. "Let him go! I'm begging you!"

"You know," Zolomon sighed just then, "we could actually be so great together." He shook his head. "Only you made the wrong choice of falling for this old fool." He nodded at Harrison who was slowly making his way to Snow, terrified that something might happen to her as well.

" _Please_ ," she still begged one more time and then, to her great surprise, he did let Barry go, throwing him to the floor, breathless and shaking.

Barely had she managed to release a breath of relief, she felt the sudden whoosh of air and she… was gone, travelling with a speed that her brain couldn't even process. _Oh, crap…_ She thought.

"Snow!" Harry roared when she was suddenly gone, taken away by that monstrosity and he couldn't stop it from happening. "Noooooo! NO! SNOW!" He did point his gun at the door, but to no avail. The woman he just now realized he loved and Zoom were just gone.

* * *

It didn't take long for Jesse to locate her father hiding out in the furthest lab, just sitting on a stair there in the darkness, devastated, drowning in his own despair. It was obvious to the girl that he didn't want the team to see him like this, that he felt the need to hide so his true emotions could finally come forward. Only she knew he couldn't do it alone, so she joined him when sitting by his side in silence, just letting him be for a few minutes before she would say something.

In the end, he was the one to speak first, his voice coming out hoarse and strained, "I never…" he cleared his throat before continuing, "I never actually told her how much she meant to me… We always think we have to wait… that it's too early or happening too fast, but…" He shook his head, his lips pressed tightly together before he opened them again, "I just knew it, Jesse," he confessed when briefly looking at his daughter and she hated the pain she saw reflected in his eyes. The fact that she wasn't able to help him she hated even more. "I think a part of me knew the moment I laid my eyes on her for the very first time."

"Dad, she's not dead," she finally spoke herself. "We will get her back." She wished she could've given him more than just her words of comfort, but for now this and her presence would have to suffice.

" _How_?" His voice broke down. "How can you know that? I just…" He shook his head, looking away from her. "I can't go through this _again_." Eventually, he just hid his face in his hands, his body slightly shaking.

"We have to get her back," Jesse said in determination. "We have to figure it out! Maybe we could give Barry his speed back somehow…"

"Wait…" Harry suddenly straightened up, his hands dropping from his face, eyes boring into the eyes of his daughter, a characteristic spark appearing in them. Uh oh, she thought, he must've had an idea! "You're right!" he called out, newly found energy emanating from his person. "We can't give him his speed back. That's simply impossible, but… we can simply _give it to him_."

Jesse frowned at that. "Dad, I honestly have no idea what…"

"But I do! Come!" He got to his feet and pulled her in the direction of the cortex.

* * *

Caitlin truly thought she couldn't find herself in a worse situation.

If some psychotic metahuman who was a serial killer on top of it all had kidnapped her a year ago, maybe she wouldn't have cared. Back then she'd truly wished to die or maybe – to be less dramatic – she just hadn't seen any point in going on living again, ready to give up just when Barry had come along and thrown some kind of a spark into her. Not in a romantic way, obviously, but he'd made her want to do research again, caused her to actually feel excited about science.

Now, that she finally had the missing piece of the puzzle – _love_ – that filled the remaining emptiness inside of her, she was terrified out of her mind that she might not see Harry again, that whatever it was that started between them would soon become just a fading memory, because she would be killed or worse – used in the worst way possible. Who knew what she should expect from a serial killer with mental problems? It didn't take a genius in psychology to figure out that he liked to be in the centre of attention, that he liked to be worshiped – which being the Flash provided him – but being the hero was never fulfilling enough for him, because he also craved violence. He didn't look to restore the order, he wanted chaos, people suffering, people dying around him. And just that made him the most dangerous. His powers were the cherry on the cake – a means to an end, a way to make it all happen.

And she was now at the mercy of that monster.

She knew he'd never touched Jesse. She knew he'd just scared the girl and kept her in a cage, nearly starving her to keep her weak. Still, he did have a fondness for _her_ , for Snow, so she might be in for a different story.

She recoiled in sudden terror as she felt the all-so-familiar whoosh of air and saw him standing there right in front of her.

* * *

"You wanna do _what_?!" Cisco yelled when Harry finished explaining his plan. "Ha-ha," he added then when faking a smile and placing his hands on his hips. "I must've heard you wrong, because it totally sounded like you wanted to repeat the particle accelerator explosion! Did you forget what happened the last time you did that?! Oh, wait… you _did_ do that on your earth, too, didn't you? Haven't you learnt from your mistakes by now, man?!"

In response, Harry only sighed, clearly on the verge of losing his patience and Snow being gone for hours now did not help him at all. He couldn't even think about what that monster could be doing to her.

"Yes, that's the point, Ramon! I _did_ learn, so I now know how to contain that explosion! It will give Barry speed again and then he'll be able to go after Zoom and get Snow back!"

"That's… but that's just crazy! We all want her back, we do!" Cisco assured the older man. "And I know how _you_ out of us all must be feeling…"

" _No, you do not_ ," Harry interrupted him immediately.

"Hey! We all care about her! You're not the only one here scared shitless for her!"

"Then help me!" Wells screamed right back at the guy. "Help me bring her back! This is the only way! We have no means to fight Zoom otherwise!"

"I'll do it," Barry suddenly agreed, so far just standing there silently, listening to their argument.

Both Harry and Cisco stopped fighting, shifting their eyes to him.

"I'll do it," he repeated. "I'll do anything I can to help. I trust you, Wells."

* * *

The words _I trust you, Wells_ along with the picture of Snow's face in his mind when she'd been assuring him he wasn't alone would probably forever be haunting him, Harry knew that much when their last chance at defeating Zoom and getting Caitlin back was gone, suddenly evaporating into thin air along with… Barry.

In fact, Harrison could swear that once he witnessed that, he died a little, too, giving up when his knees quite literally bent underneath him and then bruisingly hit the floor. He hid his face in the palms of his hands, sobbing quietly, not even caring that he was making such a show.

He failed. This would forever stay with him as the time when he not only lost the woman he truly began to love, but also killed the Flash, the young man who trusted him to do everything right, who trusted him with his life and now that life was _gone_ …

Yet, before he managed to give into despair, before he broke down completely, he heard screaming. And not only that coming from Iris and Barry's biological father. No, Joe was actually screaming Wally's name and Wells wondered what that was all about.

And then he remembered that Wally with _Jesse_ had been hiding in the time vault until the whole experiment would be over.

He truly did not know how he found the strength to heave himself back up again, already knowing there was more to come, more tragedy, more things that would bring him back down, but he simply had to get to his daughter and make sure she was all right. He just _had_ to.

And he did. Only to found himself on the floor again, hovering above her immobile body, realizing she'd been hit with dark matter. She was alive, but for some reason she wasn't waking up and he could truly do nothing but call her name over and over again.

* * *

Luckily for them all, once they transported both unconscious Jesse and Wally to the med bay, Cisco came running, screaming that Barry wasn't actually dead. That he was very much alive, but in another dimension, in the speed force. They just needed to get him back.

So that was what Harrison would do, he decided. He would figure out a way to do just that and maybe then Barry could help Jesse since he'd, too, once been hit with the dark matter and ended up in a coma. For now, Wells would rather not think about the implications of _that_ , instead focusing all of his efforts and remaining sanity on the task at hand. This was still possible. This could still work, though it would be slightly delayed.

* * *

Snow didn't know what to think anymore.

Jay – or maybe rather _Hunter_ \- hadn't laid a hand on her so far. In fact, he expected to eventually pull her to his side, trying to convince her that staying with him would be the best way for her to survive. The thing was that she couldn't care less for her own survival. She just wanted to see Harry again. She wanted to see her friends. It didn't seem to matter that one thing kind of excluded the other. She wanted to be free of Zoom and back home.

Meeting her own doppelganger from Earth Two shook her up and she now understood Harry perfectly, coming back in her mind to the moment he'd told her about Killer Frost. Yet, what shocked her even more was Zoom actually killing the meta in front of her eyes. Ok, yes, the woman did try to kill Caitlin herself, but her sudden and brutal death was still horrific.

Next thing that leveled Snow down was the words she afterwards heard coming from Hunter. He actually gave her a choice. She was wondering hard whether it was a test, whether he would just kill her the moment she was out the door, but she took her chances all the same, because she'd rather be dead than spend any more of her time with him.

So, when he said she was free to go and join her friends, she did stand up and leave, making her choice. He also did threat that afterwards he would kill them all, but even if he truly came for them, she'd rather die by Harry's side than live by Zoom's.


	9. Chapter 9

They met with another roadblock when they couldn't seem to extract Barry from the speedforce. Fortunately, in the end it was Iris who managed to do that as recently they'd both seemed to grow closer and were thinking of actually starting a relationship. About which Harrison couldn't care less unless it could help him get Barry back and through that – maybe get to both Jesse and Caitlin.

Though still, once the young man was out safely, he didn't have the strength to face Zoom right away; therefore the whole rescue operation would have to stretch in time. And Wells was already running on fumes, doing his best not to lose his sanity. Because it truly felt like history repeating itself all over again. He couldn't save his wife from dying and then he couldn't save his daughter from being kidnapped by Zoom. Now he couldn't seem to get Jesse to wake up, not even able to think about the implications of her being hit with the dark matter; and he as hell couldn't get Snow back.

Soon enough, though, the man met with a huge surprise as Barry, having already hugged everyone, directed himself straight to the lab in which Jesse was lying in bed, still unconscious. Harrison then watched with marvelous look in his eyes as Allen touched the girl's hand, vibrating it slightly and she just opened her eyes, looking around in confusion.

"Barry…? Dad…?"

Wells truly had no words. He was so damn happy that he could only throw himself at his daughter, hugging her tightly before straightening up and saying a thank you to Barry. Because for _that_ he would surely be eternally grateful. There was something at the back of his mind, though. Something nagging at him that his daughter was, indeed, hit with the dark matter and a speedster could bring her back, but he pushed those thoughts away, deciding it didn't mean anything and he had more important things to worry about right now anyway.

"I promise you, as soon as I'm strong enough, I _will_ go after Zoom and we will get Cait back," Barry then assured Wells and the older man just nodded, his eyes darkening with sudden pain. Because even one success seemed like a stretch that night and he couldn't expect more.

In the end, he settled on just sitting by his daughter's side and watching her sleep. One would think that she'd rested enough when coming out of a coma, but apparently not. Luckily for them, Barry's father was a doctor, so he examined her and assured both her and her father that the girl was healthy and would definitely be all right. All of that, yet, was just another painful reminder that Snow wasn't there.

* * *

Harrison didn't even know when exactly he'd fallen asleep, but he woke up in the early hours of the morning, sprawled in a chair in a very uncomfortable position. He glanced at Jesse, finding her still sleeping, so he got up and left the room soundlessly.

The cortex was empty and when he glanced at the clock, he saw that it was six in the morning. He rubbed his eyes with a sigh and then headed to the bathroom to refresh himself and take a shower. There really wasn't much he could do right now as he needed Cisco to try and vibe Zoom's hiding place and he needed Barry to actually have any chance at all in getting to Caitlin.

When he was splashing some water on his face after brushing his teeth, he looked at his tired reflection in the mirror. He might've slept, but he felt emotionally exhausted and it showed in the dark circles under his eyes. Still, damn it, he wouldn't get any proper rest until he had _her_ back. He just wasn't able to, his hands actually clenching over the edge of the sink as he shakily took a deep breath. He didn't want to imagine his life without Caitlin. Yet, there were still so many things to figure out. He needed to think about where he was going to stay in the end. Whether to come back to his earth and travel back and forth or maybe stay on this one. Well, provided they'd stop Zoom, because otherwise he couldn't even think of coming back to his world. And he knew he would never be able to abandon Snow all the same. He would never be able to break up with her and leave her behind, because she and Jesse were his life now. A life that he wanted to cling to so desperately, but still, it seemed to be slipping from his fingers. He knew how risky rescuing Caitlin would be for the team. He knew they could all lose their lives in the process, yet, there seemed to be no other choice in retrieving the woman.

He released one more heavy breath before leaving the bathroom and coming back to the cortex, deciding to fire one of the computers and do some research, anything just to stop his depressing thoughts. He would have to focus on having Jesse back alive and healthy. That would have to suffice for now.

Only when he was just sitting in Cisco's chair, he heard some slow steps coming from the corridor and he frowned. Despite the team desperately wanting Caitlin back, they needed their rest or else they'd be useless, so he was pretty sure it couldn't be Cisco who was always the last one to show up. It also couldn't be Barry, because he would use his superspeed. Joe? Not likely and that only left Iris, which seemed off as well.

And just then, when Harry heaved himself up from his chair, stifling a moan because his spine and muscles still hurt from the uncomfortable position he'd slept in during the night, he faced the entrance to the room and was left speechless, staring at the lonely figure standing there.

It was only when she called his name in a voice so low and shaky that he realized he wasn't dreaming. That she was truly there with him.

" _Caitlin_?" he still asked, mesmerized by seeing her standing there, shaking and hugging herself. "Oh, my God! Caitlin!" he finally exclaimed and was immediately right by her side, his arms closing around her and her hands going down and then over his chest to press herself to his body. " _Snow_ … I… _How_?" he asked straight into her ear, not able to let her go just yet, enjoying being this close to her, enjoying the warmth coming off of her body, the soft skin, the curls of her hair on his cheek. "Is this a trap?" he then asked, because seriously, he truly wouldn't peg Zoom for a merciful monster. So why would he let her go?

"I don't know," she admitted, her voice still shaky and the hold she had on him tightened, so he hugged her harder as well, wondering whether it was painful for her, but it seemed like in this moment it was what she needed. "He… he said I had a choice, but if I… if I leave… he'll show me no mercy in the end. That… that he'll kill us all."

"No, he won't," Harrison assured her, finally pulling away and immediately cupping her face to look her in the eye. "He won't, because Barry has his speed back. We actually stand a chance now."

Tears welled up in her pupils as she was watching his tender and full of love expression and then he smiled to her.

"I thought I was never going to see you again…"

"You will _never_ lose me, do you hear that?" he asked her then, gently brushing his fingers over the skin on her face. "And I will _never_ let anyone take you _ever again_. Caitlin, _I love you_ ," he finally confessed, feeling his eyes growing a little wet as well. Damn it! He was supposed to be strong. He wasn't supposed to break like this, but he didn't care anymore. He was just so damn happy! He still thought he was dreaming, but if this was really a dream, then he never wanted to wake up from it.

There were more tears flooding her eyes now as she smiled through them and responded, "I love you, too." Next, he leaned forward and finally kissed her, showing her how deeply his affections went.

"Caitlin!" they heard Jesse calling out to them from the door and then she was running towards them and Harrison laughed merrily when opening one of his arms so she would fit in there. The three of them just stood there, embracing, being one happy family.

"Oh, my God!" that was Cisco's voice, now coming from the entrance and Wells thought he truly needed to give the guy more credit as he actually _did_ show up early for once. Probably to get them started on searching for Caitlin. Only obviously, they didn't have to anymore. "Wait till I tell the rest!" And he ran out of there only to come back with Barry and Iris and they all hugged Caitlin who was both crying and smiling, refusing to let go of Harry's hand.

* * *

After she took a shower, changed into a fresh pair of clothes provided by S.T.A.R. Labs and finally sat down in her chair back in the cortex, nursing a cup of coffee Barry had run from the Jitters along with some fresh bagels she loved so much; she told them everything she knew about Zoom and his plan. During all that time Harry never left her side, sitting right next to her, needing a constant reminder that she was really there, touching her hand briefly or placing his own on her arm or shoulder. And she appreciated all those gestures so much, because she was still shaken up, still not able to believe that she'd escaped a psychotic monster, that he'd actually _let her go_ and hadn't hurt her in any other way but mental. Then again, sometimes those wounds were the hardest to heal. Still, she was grateful he hadn't laid a hand on her and right now, if she were to be honest, the only person she wanted to be with and feel the touch of was Harrison.

Just then, as she slowly finished her story and they all stood there, conversing about it, the alarm sounded and they quickly realized Zoom sent another doppelganger through. What more, it was Laurel Lance.

And Caitlin so did not have the strength to deal with _that_ right now.

"Why don't you get some rest?" Barry suggested, clearly noticing.

She shook her head in response. "I don't want the lab bed," she said. "I need what's comfortable and familiar and…" She looked at the man who was still attached to her side. "Harry, now that Jesse is safe and sound, would you mind taking me to my apartment and staying with me?"

"You don't even have to ask, Caitlin," he assured her in a soft voice, running his fingers gently over the skin of her hand.

"I just can't be alone right now," she confessed in a quiet voice.

"And you won't be," Jesse told her. "Dad, just go. She's right. I don't need you right now. It'll do you both some good to take a little distance."

"Sure," Cisco agreed. "We can handle this and if we don't, we won't hesitate to call." He winked at the couple who just rose from their seats.

"Thanks, guys. You're the best," Caitlin said with a small smile on her lips before Harry led her to the exit.

"Right back at you!" Barry managed to call after her.

* * *

Obviously, Harrison hadn't been to Caitlin's apartment before. When she opened the door for him, he still let her through first and when following, he looked around in curiosity, closing the door behind them and taking in the modest but homey décor. It was obvious to him that she hadn't been spending much time there, leaving in the morning and coming back late in the night just to sleep. There weren't many pictures on the walls, just a painting of a calm sea. The small hall opened into a cozy living room with a creamy couch and a TV that in his opinion rather gathered dust than was being watched and then he spotted two doors, probably leading to a bathroom and a bedroom; and a kitchen island. The apartment was small, but after all, only one person lived here.

Caitlin walked straight towards one of the door, leaving it open as she entered and he hesitated.

"Come on it!" he then heard her call, so he did follow, walking into a bedroom with a king-sized bed and a wardrobe. The bed caught his eyes and he felt himself blush, because seriously, this situation was a little awkward as they were alone in her apartment, near her actual _bed_ and in love. Though he knew better than to get any ideas. She'd quite literally been through hell, so he wouldn't make any move on her.

"Pretty big bed like for just one person," he finally pointed out and she smiled.

"It's comfortable. And I need as much sleep as I can get with my job."

"Oh, and here I thought you were usually busy dating other men," he joked and was relieved to see her smile at him.

"If that's your way of asking whether…" she started and stopped, biting on her lip. "There really hasn't been anyone in my life since Ronnie, Harry and I changed apartments since then. All the furniture you see in this place is brand new."

"Oh," was all Harry said, so not meaning _that_ , but it was good to know all the same.

"I guess I always wanted a big bed to sleep comfortably."

"So you should get down to it," he stated and turned around.

"Where are you going?" she immediately asked and he came to a stop, not knowing what to make out of _that_.

"Um… to watch some TV?" he asked when turning back to her.

"There's no need for that," she said when coming closer and before he knew it, she was placing her hands on his chest and then sliding them up until her arms were around his neck and she was pulling him down for a kiss.

A kiss that definitely lasted longer and was far deeper than a normal goodnight kiss should be. Or good morning, for that matter.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked in a hoarse voice when she pulled away and met his eyes.

"What does it look like?" she asked, tugging on his sweater and then sliding her hands underneath it. Her touch on his bare skin caused him to shiver slightly and ignited a fire in him that he knew he wouldn't be able to quench any other way but by being with her.

"Are you… are you sure?" he asked again when swallowing hard, trying to hold on to the last ounce of control he had.

"Of course. I…" she sighed, taking her hands away and needless to say, he was very disappointed about that. "I need you," she simply confessed then when meeting his already darkened from desire eyes. He wanted this woman too damn much. He _loved_ her too much. "I don't want to wait. Being… taken," she hesitated slightly and then winced at the memory of Zoom, "just made me realize that you never know how much time you'll have, so you should make a proper use of it."

"That's a solid argument right there," he voiced his opinion and then his lips came crashing down on hers, all of inhibitions stripped as he was kissing her deeply, lovingly and passionately. A kiss that would definitely lead to something much, much _more_.

Her hands were back underneath his sweater, which he welcomed with pleasure as she finally pulled it off of him, looking at his chest and then tracing a line along the thin scar where she'd stitched him up after Grodd and then moving to touch the one that the bullet Patty had shot him with left.

"It's fine. I'm all right now," he assured her when cupping her face and kissing her again, pushing her gently so she would walk backwards until they were near the bed. He took off the S.T.A.R. Labs sweatshirt she was wearing, stunned that she had nothing underneath, his eyes just now staring at her bare breasts, the nipples already poking. She was so, so perfect, he thought when swallowing hard and then shifting his eyes back to hers. She took him by surprise, yes, because he couldn't possibly tell what had been going on under that baggy sweatshirt before, but it was a nice surprise.

Next, he simply started kissing her again, placing his hands on her sides and then slowly moving them up until he cupped her breasts, his thumbs teasing the nipples. A soft moan escaped her lips as she opened them to meet his tongue and kissed him even more deeply. His mouth then traced down along her beautiful collarbone and lower until he finally sucked on her breast, running his tongue over the peak. She only moaned louder and grabbed onto his shoulders, pulling him closer and then her hands wandered up to bury themselves in his hair as he started sucking on the other one.

She eventually sat down on the bed, looking up at him and placing her hands on his buckle, undoing it slowly, her chest raising and falling rapidly as she finally released him hard and ready from the confine of his black pants.

And he thought he would lose it right there, feeling her delicate hands over his shaft, gently pumping it up and down. He had to close his eyes and forced himself back under control. Damn it, if she took him into her mouth right now, he would definitely lose it, he thought, pushing her to the bed before she managed to anything of the sort. It'd been a very long time for him since he'd last been with a woman and he really wanted it to be perfect for her since it'd been long for her as well. And just because it meant _so much_.

He quickly stepped out of his pants and he stripped her off of hers, this time actually finding underwear which he also got rid of quickly, getting to the bed as well and covering her body with his own, fitting perfectly between her opened legs as he found her lips again and started kissing her.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered when raising his head and looking into her eyes, one of his hands placed at the side of her face. "And I love you so much, Caitlin."

"I love you, too," she answered him, her eyes boring into his. She lifted her hands then and traced the lines of his face with her fingers. "I am so in love with you, Harrison Wells."

He didn't need anything more, his lips came crashing down on hers again when he lined up and then entered her slowly, the act being both a torture and heaven to him as he felt her so hot and wet around him. When he was there all the way, sweat beaded all over his body as he once again found it difficult to hold on. She was just too beautiful and too sweet and too good for him and he knew he could never deserve her, but she wanted and loved him anyway.

She gasped, breathing heavily, all of her nerves being on overdrive as she could finally feel him inside all the way, her flesh clinging to him as they fitted together perfectly. She quickly put her arms around his neck and as he slowly started moving, she pressed her face into his shoulder, just focused on being with on, on feeling him, on moving in synch with him.

She didn't know how on earth she'd come out of hell straight to heaven, but she never wanted this to end. This man had appeared in her life so suddenly, evoking so many conflicted emotions in her and now she was so in love with him that she couldn't even comprehend it.

And she shouldn't, she decided. She shouldn't. She should just focus on the way he made her feel.

She truly couldn't find a word for that as he kept on making love to her, with every stroke bringing her closer and closer to the edge until she hooked one of her legs around his hip, changing the angle and he cried out in surprised pleasure.

He sped up a little, not able to hold back anymore and she let go of him, her head falling to the pillow because she just had to look at his face. The pleasure and the emotions she saw reflected in his blues undid her completely. He met her gaze and just then she opened her mouth, a moan after moan coming out as he changed the angle yet again, hitting just the right spot inside her which eventually brought her over the edge and she could swear she could feel her climax in her entire body, actually never before experiencing something so powerful.

He followed quickly after, speeding up even more before freezing in place, a look of deepest pleasure reflected on his face as he groaned and said her name before coming in jerking spasms.

Afterwards, they just laid there breathlessly, their bodies entangled together.

"That was…" Snow finally said. "That was…"

"…amazing," he finished for her.

"Oh, yes. And we definitely have to repeat that."

He chuckled straight into the crook of her neck.

* * *

Yet, in the end, they couldn't spend their whole day in bed as Cisco called, apologizing for disturbing but Caitlin was apparently needed.

Harry already felt bristled that he had to leave a perfectly fine bed and actually dress to show up in the Labs again, but then he was just pissed when he found out _why_ exactly they needed Caitlin.

"No," he said adamantly, folding his arms over his chest. "Over my dead body."

"But this is the only way," Cisco protested. "And she'll be fine, I promise."

"No, you cannot possibly promise that!" Wells still argued. "You want her to dress up like Killer Frost so she could go with you, dressed up as Reverb, to Black Canary! Do you have any idea how many things can go wrong?!"

"I'll do it," Caitlin simply agreed.

"Exactly!" Harry yelled in exasperation. "Wait, what?" he then asked in confusion.

"I need to do it, Harry. We have to fight Zoom. Just because he took me and threatened me doesn't mean I should hide in the corner. I won't give him that satisfaction. I will be strong and I am going to do it."

"Like hell you are!" he screamed, the memories they'd made in bed still fresh in his mind and now he was going to risk losing her _again_? After _that_?!

"Harrison," she spoke his name softly as she came closer, placing her hand on his arm and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be fine, I promise. You've already given me so much strength today. I know I can do it. Besides," she then added with a naughty smile, "I just may not take Killer Frost's costume off afterwards. What do you say to that?"

"Oh, my God!" Cisco yelled, covering his ears with his hands when Harry just couldn't help but look interested. "There are other people in here, guys! And _that_ is what you were doing when we all thought you were so tired and traumatized that you needed _sleep_?! Cait, I really thought you meant to go home to _sleep_!"

"Cisco, stop, please," Barry just said.

Harry forced himself not to think about Caitlin in that sexy costume, so he could focus on the task at hand. Of course, Ramon was ignored. "What are you trying to do here? Prove to me that you're suddenly fine? You are not, Snow! It will take much longer for you to…"

But Caitlin only shook her head. "I'll do it. You don't make decisions for me, Harry. I love you, but I'm sorry. I'm needed and I'm going to do it."

* * *

He was right.

He was always damn right and no one ever listened to him!

So, one failed Black Canary operation and one splitting headache later, they were all back in the Labs safely. More or less, Harry thought grumpily, still not over the ear covers that hadn't worked properly so he was forced to hand his own over to Jesse and pass out. So, ok, Black Canary had actually been apprehended, but that so had _not_ gone as planned!

And the most infuriating was the way Snow was looking at him just now, as she could clearly tell his mood and found it funny. _Funny!_

They were just having dinner at Joe's and eventually Caitlin, who was obviously sitting right next to him, reached for his hand to show him that she was, indeed, still there and ok and that kind of made him feel better, all the angriness leaving him. And the meal he was going to have also sounded appealing as he couldn't believe he was even thinking it, but he started to be sick of the Big Belly Burger already.

Only then everything went to hell as it usually did with Cisco getting a vision of Earth Two being blown to pieces and… Zoom showing up and taking Barry's father.


	10. Chapter 10

The promise Zoom had made Caitlin started to come true and sooner than they all thought; now attending a funeral of Henry Allen, Barry's father. And Caitlin was scared. In fact, despite Harry being there for her and providing the necessary comfort whenever needed, she felt as though her body was shaking all the time, as though she saw Zoom everywhere she looked. Just now the hold she had on Wells' arm tightened as she got closer to him, seeking out his warmth, his support. She thanked God that he was all right, but in the same time knew that might change. Soon, they all might be in grave danger. They probably already were.

Harry put his arm around Snow, wishing he could've just breached her together with himself and his daughter to Earth Two and never look back. The ugly truth was that despite the friends he found in the people present, only Caitlin and Jesse truly mattered to him and he would do anything to protect those two women, even for the cost of betraying everyone else. The problem was, yet, that running away wouldn't help as Zoom was from his own earth, invading this one as well. The only way out was to fight.

* * *

The celebration from before Henry Allen was killed suddenly turned into a wake and added to that, Zoom didn't waste his time, appearing on the spot and asking Barry to race him in order to see who was truly the fastest man alive. In exchange, he would let his friends live. Probably provided Barry won, but that was another story.

For now, they were all back in the cortex, wondering what Zoom's plan might really be all about, because a simple race didn't seem like enough. He hadn't come all this way, having done so much damage just to see which man was faster in the end.

"Of course it's not what he really wants…" Harry said when checking the schematics of the machine Zolomon had earlier stolen from Mercury Labs. "This magnetar can also act as a pulsar."

"And what does that mean?" Iris asked, already feeling lost, so Wells proceeded to explanting, which led him to assume, "He wants to destroy our planets."

"That's what I saw happen to Earth Two!" Cisco exclaimed just then. "I saw it being ripped to shreds because of this machine!"

"With the right power source…" Harry started again whereas Caitlin was just looking at him with her eyes widely opened.

"Like me," Barry filled in. "He wants to race so I would add my power to the machine."

"He wants to siphon the energy from the both of you," Wells agreed.

"When Jay captured me…" Caitlin spoke, "he said that he used to measure his success by counting the number of victims he had, but now he was gonna measure it by counting the number of earths he conquered instead."

"He doesn't just want to destroy Earth Two," Harry nearly gasped, "or this one. He wants to take down every other planet in the multiverse."

"How many are there?" Jesse wanted to know.

"Infinite?" her father provided the information. "This is still an area in which we're going blind."

"One pulse… to destroy them all," Cisco said as though he still couldn't believe it.

"Guys, but I don't have a choice… I have to race him," Barry told them. "And I have to win."

* * *

Once Barry got into his suit and disappeared in order to prepare for what was coming, they all agreed that they couldn't let him race Zoom in this state of mind. The risk was too high and he was still grieving, which wasn't a good combination. In the end, Joe actually tranqed him and they all threw him into the pipeline. It was hard to watch him struggle, but it had to be done.

Next, they moved to executing their plan without the Flash and Caitlin volunteered to help.

"I can get close to Jay. He cares for me, so I don't think he will hurt me," she offered, though still a little shaken up and terrified on the very thought of what she would have to do. But if that meant saving the man she'd fallen in love with, his daughter and her friends from a certain death, then so be it. She would risk it. She would risk it all for them.

"Out of the question," Harry immediately shut her down, his blue eyes set on her hard. "Snow, you can't be serious! He promised to spare you, yes, but under the condition that you stayed and you didn't. You chose us."

"I have to try, Harry," she argued. "What other choice do we really have here?"

"Actually," Cisco suddenly came up with, "I have a perfect plan to make this happen without putting you in any physical danger, Cait."

* * *

Everything went wrong from the beginning to the end.

As soon as Caitlin got close enough to Jay and they all thought she succeeded, he vibed a hand right through her chest, discovering a hologram and not an actual person.

The whole thing shook Wells to the core as he saw it happen from up close, though he knew he couldn't break down now, reminding himself that thanks to Cisco's idea Caitlin was alive and save far away from there. Eventually, he forced himself to pull together and then jumped forward, shooting Zoom with Joe's help.

Only the villain managed to set himself free, grab Joe and disappear with the man to Earth Two.

Needless to say, they were now facing a very angry Barry who was set free by Wally, desperate to get his father back.

"You are _not_ racing Zoom!" Harry finally hollered, already exasperated with this argument.

"And what are you going to do?! You're gonna tranq me again?!"

"It seems to me that you don't wanna stop Zoom. You want revenge and if that's what this is all about, then you won't stop him, Allen. You. Will. _Lose_ ," Harrison eventually said, unconsciously moving so Snow and Jesse would be directly behind him, though even if Zoom was to speed in there, he would be powerless to stop him from taking the lives of every single person present.

Barry kept on convincing them that he could do this, that he could put his anger aside and win and eventually they knew they had no other choice but to let him. They were quite literally out of options. They also decided they would all go there to be a support and a reminder for Barry of what was at stake and if he failed, they would all soon die anyway.

* * *

They were facing the monster before they could even prepare themselves. According to the agreement Barry had made with him after getting Cisco to vibe him to Earth Two so they could talk; Zolomon dragged West with him.

After a brief talk between the Flash and Zoom, the latter's eyes settled on Caitlin and then on Wells standing by her side.

"And you could've actually become a queen by my side," he just said with disgust clear in his voice. "Instead you chose this old fool." He pointed Wells.

"Don't talk to her," Harry threatened when covering Snow with his body, yet again whereas she started to shiver, scared that despite the deal Barry had made, Zoom would lose it and kill Harry on the spot. "Don't even look at her!"

"Harry…" she warned him quietly when placing her hand on his arm, desperate to touch him, to make a physical contact.

"You really think you can be happy with this man?" Zoom disregarded Wells and kept talking to her anyway. "You're wrong. I will win and you will all die and if by any weird chance, Barry will succeed, don't think that your doc here will stick around. He will disappear to Earth Two faster than you can say goodbye and you'll never see him again."

Despite Caitlin knowing that wouldn't be the case since she knew Harry well enough, those words still got to her. And she hated Zoom eve more for making her feel this way. She might not know what the future would bring, but she was sure that together with Harry they would figure it all out. For now, she just refused to think of Jesse, of the life the girl wanted back on her own earth. Harrison still had a duty towards her and even if almost a grown-up, Jesse would always be his daughter.

Luckily for Cait, Zoom lost his interest in torturing her with his words and decided it was time for the show.

So it began.

* * *

When back at the Labs, they still couldn't seem to believe that Barry had actually won by beating Zoom at his own game. He'd created a time remnant who sacrificed himself so the other him could take Zolomon down and leave him to the time wraith's mercy. The view wasn't pleasant and Caitlin was happy to turn her eyes away, in the same time knowing that Hunter Zolomon got exactly what he deserved for all the murders and tragedies he'd caused.

Now that they were finally safe, Caitlin couldn't wait to pull Harry aside so they could talk, but he was currently busy with Cisco. They were helping a prisoner that Zoom had been keeping and now that he was gone, Barry was able to speed to his lair on Earth Two and get the poor man.

Once the iron mask fell off, they all gasped, seeing the face of Henry Allen.

Obviously, it wasn't Barry's father; just his doppelganger from Earth Three, the Flash there and the real Jay Garrick as it turned out.

It seemed to be too much for Barry to take and Joe followed him out of the cortex to calm him down. Snow chose that moment to lock her eyes with Harry, but after walking over to her and kissing her briefly on the corner of her lips, he whispered he needed to talk to Jesse and would be back soon.

* * *

Harrison walked into the room Jesse occupied in the Labs just to see her packing.

"Ready to go?" he asked her and once she looked at him, she spotted that he had his backpack ready.

"Wait… you're not going with me, are you?" she asked in confusion when abandoning her bag on the bed and walking over to him.

"Jesse…"

"Dad, no, you can't go! You can't leave Caitlin behind."

"Jesse, let me just…"

"Dad," she interrupted him again and he only sighed in frustration, knowing that sometimes she could be just as stubborn as he was, so he let her talk, "all I've ever wanted for you since mom died was happiness. And you finally found it and it's taken you way longer than I could anticipate! You can't just jeopardize this relationship like this. I like Caitlin, in fact, she's just perfect for you and I want you to stay here and live your life again."

"Have you finished?" he eventually asked in exasperation.

"Dad, I'm serious!"

"So I am!"

"Then what are you doing?!" she finally asked, folding her arms over her chest and looking up at him expectantly, ready to fight him over this issue and he nearly smiled because she looked so alike her mother at this moment. A memory that brought him pain as always, yes, but he also realized that it wasn't as intensive anymore. It was rather melancholy. His dead wife would always live on in his memories, but he knew it was finally the time for him to move on and Jesse was right, he had the perfect person to move on with. It had been ten years, after all.

* * *

After talking with his daughter, Harry couldn't seem to find Snow anywhere and finally, he quite accidentally stumbled upon her in one of the labs that were out of use when judging by the looks of them. There was not much of furniture in there, so Caitlin was just sitting on a single stair, staring at her hands.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Harry told her with relief obvious in his voice. "Why are you hiding in here?"

"So you wouldn't find me," she eventually answered and actually moved away when he sat by her side and wanted to touch her.

"Snow… Caitlin, what's wrong?" He frowned at her behavior. "If it's about what Zoom said earlier before…"

"It's not about Zoom," she said a little too quickly. "It's not," she assured him when raising her eyes to meet his.

"I don't… I don't understand," Harry admitted then.

"I just heard that you and Jesse are going back to Earth Two. Sorry that I didn't want to be there to wish you a happy life," the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and heavy silence fell.

Finally, Harrison managed to stir himself from the shock he had seemed to fall into and asked, "Did you… did you actually think I was gonna abandon you like that? After all that we've been through together? After how I told you I loved you?" His voice was stunned, so she just had to look at him again.

"Well, then what are you doing? You haven't asked me to move there with you either," she explained.

"Did you want me to?"

"No. I mean… Ah," she sighed, burying her face in her hands. "I don't know, Harry. I know we come from two entirely different worlds. I know this… this relationship is pretty much impossible and was doomed from the start, but… God, I can't help but love you. I love you," she repeated, looking into his blue eyes and seeing the reflection of her own feelings there.

"I am not leaving you," he finally made it clear and her mouth parted in a gasp. "I was just talking to Jesse and yes, we are coming back," he then started explaining, hating that this little misunderstanding caused Snow all that unnecessary pain after what she'd already been through, "but I'm not coming back there to stay. In fact, it was Jesse who told me I should move here so I could live my life again. With you," he added then in a soft and husky voice and God, she never wanted him to stop talking, she loved the sound of it so much.

"Oh?" she eventually went with, stunned, feeling this amazing hope and happiness starting at her chest and spreading all over her body along with warmth. She could nearly _taste_ her happy ending.

"I need to get Jesse home safely and make sure she's gonna be all right," Harry continued with his explanation. "I also need to deal with some stuff at my Labs. After all, I did leave in a hurry and they're probably wondering where the hell I am. Jesse will eventually be the head of it as I'm leaving the company to her, but I need to settle a few things before I can do that. Caitlin," he suddenly shifted so he could gently cup her face and look her deeply in the eye, "I love you and soon I _will_ come back here to you. And I will come to stay. If you have me, that is," he added, chuckling slightly and she smiled brightly at him right then and placed her own hands on his face as well before pressing her lips against his own and kissing him.

"I couldn't possibly ask you for more," she eventually said with her lips still against his.

"I love you. I mean that," he assured her.

"I know. I love you, too."

Next, his arms went around her and he hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair, already missing her and wondering how on earth he'd survive the next couple of weeks away from her.

* * *

The moment when they had to say a temporary goodbye came by way too soon as it always did. Snow hugged Jesse first, seeing that Harry was just now hugging Cisco, being threatened by the younger man that if he didn't come back soon, Cisco would breach himself to Earth Two to throw things around Wells' office like a poltergeist at which the older man actually smiled. It was nice to see Harry acting happy for a change and not angry and Caitlin didn't even realize she was staring at him as he was now saying his goodbye to Barry when Jesse said, "It's all because of you, you know."

"What?" Snow looked back at the girl, not understanding what she meant.

"He's changed so much since he met you and I'm so glad. You make him happy and I have to thank you for this, Caitlin."

"I thank you for accepting me so quickly," Snow told Jesse, tears already welling up in her eyes. And here she swore she wouldn't cry, damn it!

"What's not to accept? You're pretty much perfect." Jesse winked at her and then Harry was approaching Caitlin and once again she thought it was happening way too fast.

"Snow…" he sighed heavily, not able to tear his eyes away from her. "I'll be back before you know it," he eventually settled for and she fell into his arms, clinging to his body, wanting to hold on as long as possible before she would have to let go.

"I'll be waiting," she promised when he pulled away a little, but just so he could kiss her one more time.

"I love you," he said before finally moving away and joining Jesse who was already standing with the real Jay Garrick, ready to be taken back to Earth Two.

"I love you, too," Caitlin said while crying. She just couldn't help it.

Only once she pictured herself how it would be to welcome Harry back and to actually have him here permanently, she smiled, deciding that moment would be definitely worth waiting for.

But for now, they had to say goodbye.

* * *

Later on, they all gathered up in Joe's house, Cisco making fun of Caitlin for being sad.

"Girl, cheer! The guy's ready to uproot his entire life for you! He'll be back before you know it! Besides, if you feel like a quick visit, maybe a booty call, I can totally breach you there…" he suggested then.

"Oh, my God! Cisco!" she chastised him immediately, not even registering that Barry and Iris were gone. "The entire purpose of his leaving is so he could focus on all the things that need to be taken care of on his Earth! I can't be distracting him from it! Then I'm gonna wait even more!"

"Just kidding, girl! Well, unless you really want me to!"

The door closed, showing Iris coming back from the porch. She was wearing quite a dreamy smile on her face and Caitlin wondered what that was all about. Maybe Barry finally made his move. Maybe from now on only good things would happen to them for a change.

If only she knew how wrong she actually was…

…because just then, Barry was standing outside on the porch, watching them all through the window before saying he was sorry.

But he had to do this.

So he sped up and didn't stop until he started running back in time…

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten chapters. One season down.
> 
> The question is how on earth will I survive this four weeks of a break! I have to. I will. By writing this beauty:D I can’t wait to head into season 3! In fact, I’m really looking forward to all the possibilities it offers for inserting Harry. And just to calm you down - don’t you worry all that much about the consequences of Barry’s time travelling. It will not affect the way Caitlin and Harry feel for each other at all!
> 
> I reached 1000 subs on YouTube and I made a special snowells video. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueqDNWswdXo


	11. Chapter 11

Despite what Caitlin might've thought before, during his absence she didn't even have much time to miss Harry or look out for his return. Normally she would, of course, but the circumstances were far from normal as barely had Harrison left, Cisco's brother was hit by a drunk driver and killed on the spot. Needless to say, Snow needed to be there for her friend and she even slept on his couch for the next few weeks. Well, her own bed was kind of a reminder of the one and only time she and Harry had actually slept together, but it wasn't like they'd broken up, so she would luckily sleep in there with her head on the pillow that he'd used and that still smelt of him. She didn't get that luxury, though and was forced to push all the thoughts of the man she loved aside in order to be there for Cisco and do her best to make the guy feel better. She couldn't possibly parade in front of him happily. She was a good friend, so she would keep her own feelings to herself.

Only even that changed pretty soon as one night she woke up so terribly cold. She was just about to get up and check the thermostat when she noticed the cold was coming from _her_ … She froze, noticing the foggy interior of Cisco's living room, the freezing temperature she was somehow generating contrasting with the one warming the room through the vents.

Once she fully realized what happened to her, she started panicking, but eventually she managed to force herself to keep quiet and to somehow calm down. Because she couldn't possibly wake Cisco up. He had enough on his plate. Even when his best friend's worst nightmares were just coming true.

Truth be told, ever since she'd discovered she had the metahuman gene, she'd been living in fear, doing her best pushing those thoughts away, yet still waiting for the other shoe to drop. She focused on her work, then on Harrison and her growing feelings for the man, on finding his daughter. Now that it all ended well and there was nothing left to do but wait for him to come back to her so they could finally start their lives together… _it_ finally happened.

And it happened in the worst way possible.

* * *

Caitlin couldn't believe this.

She couldn't accept that one of her best friends had actually run back in time to save his mother just to decide that he needed to restore the original timeline after all and as a result… he screwed up even more.

Honestly, she wondered whether she should be grateful that nothing changed between her and Harry and whether she would choose it to stay that way instead of ridding of her powers… Or _maybe_ … Well, of course she'd rather be with the man than not have powers, but what _if…_?

"Guys, I can tell you what your lives looked like in the flashpoint," Barry was just saying." It's all up to you, really. But that won't change anything, so maybe it'll be better if you don't know."

"I…" Caitlin spoke, tasting this word, taking her time before she finally decided she did actually want to know. "I have a question. You do remember _this_ timeline before it changed, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," Barry admitted, not really knowing where she was going with this.

"Then… Do I…?" she truly didn't know how to form this question. She wasn't even sure she wanted to know the answer. Because what if she and Harry hadn't actually fallen in love in the first version? What if they'd just worked together and parted?

She could feel Cisco's eyes set on her and then the guy guessed what she was thinking about.

"Cait, no, you don't have to worry," he told her to her astonishment when she shifted her eyes from Barry to him.

"I don't?"

"You and Harry. That's what you were gonna ask, right?" Cisco made sure. "He was in another timeline when Barry ran back in time, so nothing about you and your relationship with the man could've been changed. Only _this_ timeline was affected. You're safe."

Well, technically, _she_ couldn't say that about herself, but she still breathed out with relief, sending Cisco a small smile. "Thank you, Cisco."

"Now… you just decided it was ok to change things when someone in your family died," Cisco then turned to Barry, ignoring Caitlin, his voice changed, now full of resentment. "But when it's someone in _my_ family…" He shook his head and left the room after Caitlin briefly touched his arm to give him at least some consolation. Barry followed soon after, so maybe she should let them talk alone.

* * *

Caitlin was glad that Cisco and Barry were back on speaking terms and acting friendlier as the first had just saved the Flash's life. Another metahuman was taken down, yes, but they were facing a new problem with the implications of Barry's time travel that Cisco deemed _Dr. Alchemy._ In the end, it was just another day in the office, Caitlin figured, giving up and finally accepting the mess around her. Maybe her life would always look like that in team Flash. Maybe she could never truly count on any _normal_.

Eventually, only she and Barry remained in the room, her still pondering over her little cool problem, pun very much intended, wondering what she should about it. She still hadn't said anything to her friends and the reason was simply fear. She remembered how Harrison had told her about his meeting with Killer Frost. She remembered having the displeasure of coming face to face with the woman herself. And she was still shaken up by it. Could it be that she was turning into that cold and heartless bitch? Then again, it wasn't as though she and her doppelganger were the same person, right? Ronnie on Earth Two had the same powers as her Ronnie here and they couldn't be more different from one another. With that in mind, Caitlin managed to calm herself down for now, still feeling her hands freezing cold and holding on to the last ounces of control she had. Suddenly, something else occurred to her. She remembered her conversation with Harry about Killer Frost quickly and not even once she'd thought then about her own metahuman gene. Did that mean…? She nearly gasped, oblivious to Barry's presence in the cortex. Cisco was right! With Harry being on Earth Two in a completely different timeline, nothing between him and her had changed, the proof being that she hadn't seemed to be bothered by her metahuman gene when in his presence whereas she still had that gene now. Her head was truly spinning as she realized in horrification that she must've not had it before Barry changed things. She must've been meta DNA free then… God, she was so grateful Harrison had decided to come back to his earth briefly, because if he hadn't… She didn't even want to think of the implications.

"Hey, Caitlin," she then heard Barry addressing her, "you have nothing to worry about. I think out of everyone, actually, you were the only one who wasn't _really_ affected when I messed with the timeline."

She shot him a blank look since he was so, so wrong.

"Did you see… my life there?" she asked in a shaky voice, wondering how it would be not to meet Harry. Was she married to someone else? Was she single?

"Frankly, I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to. I only saw you briefly and you were an ophthalmologist."

"Oh?" She seemed surprised.

"But I don't know anything about your private life."

"Ok, maybe… maybe it's for the best, then," she eventually settled for.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if you were Mrs. Caitlin Wells there," Barry teased her, "or Caitlin Snow-Wells."

She finally broke a smile, briefly forgetting about her metahuman problem whereas Barry waved her goodbye and disappeared.

There was nothing left to do but to look at her hand one more time to see if they were still there. And boy, they were. _Powers_. She actually manifested powers. Who would…

" _Snow_ ," she suddenly heard a very familiar, very hoarse, very deep and very dear to her voice. Yet, she couldn't look up to see the expression on his face even though all she wanted was to just sink into his blue eyes and his arms and never let him go again.

The silence that followed was pregnant and she was finally forced to look up, the palm of her hand still open, showing the ice creeping over her skin as she saw Harrison Wells standing there and staring at her in shock, his mouth parted.

Her heart seemed to ignore all of that, though, just feeling so much love flowing from her and towards the man. In fact, she was so happy he finally came back that she forgot about her little predicament and her face lit up in a smile. "Harry, you're back," she said right then and jumped off the desk on which she was sitting.

"I never should have left," he rasped, making his way to her as well and taking her straight to heaven when his arms finally enveloped her and she realized that she felt truly warm for the first time since that night her powers had manifested.

God, she missed him so much, she thought when burying her face in the crook of his neck, breathing the familiar and so dear to her smell, her arms tightening around him. He simply made her feel safe and loved regardless of the danger of her powers that was still there. The fact that he just so blatantly took her into his arms without worrying about her hurting him meant the world to her and she discovered that the palms of her hands actually grew warm, the powers dormant for now. Maybe he was the key, she thought, pressing her face even more so into his neck and breathing in his aftershave; maybe he was her anchor. With him she knew she could do it all.

Then, as all of that finally sunk in, when she realized that he was holding onto her a little bit too desperately, probably scared of what he'd just seen or maybe scared for _her_ ; she started to cry. Just like that, she simply burst into tears and couldn't stop them once it finally happened. She'd held on the first time her powers manifested, she'd been bravely doing that ever since, but now she was simply powerless to fight this anymore.

She felt him stroke her head before he finally said, "But… Caitlin, you don't even have the metahuman gene."

"Yeah, I kind of figured I didn't have it," she admitted and he stilled, then pulled away, holding her at his arms' length.

"What does _that_ mean?" he asked, his radiant blue eyes boring into her face. Only before she managed to answer him, his expression changed and he gasped again, everything falling into place in his head. He was a genius, after all, so he must've just figured out what Cisco had before.

Next thing she knew, he got angry. Rage actually started coming off of him in waves and she could even feel the vibrations of it through his touch.

"Allen ran back in time again, didn't he?" he simply asked and was just about to turn around and seek out Barry himself when Caitlin stopped him, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to her.

"No, Harry, stop!"

"Why? You didn't tell them?" He seemed surprised.

She didn't have to answer. The look on her face told him everything he needed to know.

"They're your friends, Snow. I'd think you'd tell them."

She shook her head. "I can't. Not yet. Let's… Harry, I think I'm gonna need help working on a cure. Can you do this for me? Maybe if we put our minds together, we can come up with something useful. Maybe we can stop this."

Harry was looking at her for a very long time before he finally nodded, "Of course. We can keep this a secret for now. We can tell them when you're ready. It's not like they _have_ to know. I'm just glad I'm here already," he said and then he cupped her face, bringing it to his own and kissing her softly.

Yet, what started soft quickly escalated and before he knew it, she was opening her mouth so he could taste her and he lost herself in the kiss completely, feeling her whimper softly against him when…

"Gee, guys, get a room!" they heard another familiar voice and they parted, Snow actually feeling a little flushed, breathless and ashamed of this PDA.

When she looked at the entrance, she saw Jesse standing there.

"Oh, hi," she greeted the girl. "I guess I didn't expect you here as well. How is it going?" She did her best to act all cheerful and nonchalant, but she could tell she overdid it.

She shifted her gaze back to Harry who was huffing again that he was interrupted when he finally got to kiss the woman he loved after weeks of being apart from her.

"Yeah… there's a reason to why I'm so late," he then said. "I hit a little setback and I guess I'm gonna need your help with something as well."

"Oh? With what?" Caitlin asked in curiosity, glad to be able to take her mind of her powers.

"That," Harry pointed behind himself at Jesse and Snow's eyes opened widely when the girl just disappeared and… appeared right on the other side of the cortex.

Oh, boy. The work was really starting, wasn't it?

* * *

Caitlin had to give Jesse one thing – her speed was already pretty impressive and the girl was on her best way to match Barry in his accomplishments. The whole team shared her views on the subject, Cisco actually smiling more often now that things between him and Barry were better, that Harry was back and that he could study the older man's daughter's speed. In fact, he was more cheerful than Caitlin remembered him being the last few weeks and it was a good change. She herself almost forgot about her own problem when being this close to the man she loved, yet still not close enough. Honestly, she couldn't wait till they were finally alone, but understood they needed to perform the basic tests on Jesse right away.

Now the girl just came back from speeding, all smiley and happy whereas Harry was wearing his grumpy face. Caitlin nearly sighed on seeing that expression. He was still mad at Barry, she could tell as much, coming back in her mind to the moment he called the man on what he'd done.

"Only a few things are different," Barry had tried to defend himself, yet he seemed to be looking everywhere but at Wells.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure… _NOT_ ," the older man teased him angrily when placing his hands on his hips.

"Harry, really, it's fine," Barry tried one more time, clearly not following why Wells would be so angry about this. "Nothing that's regarding you has changed…"

"Oh, you mean just because I was in _another timeline_ at the time?!" Harrison picked up on that. "Yeah, lucky break for me… _NOT_ ," he immediately followed, risking a glance in Caitlin's direction. "In fact, if I did decide to stay instead of getting my daughter back home to make sure she was all right, I don't know…" he threw his hands up into the air, "maybe I wouldn't even be here right now! Maybe Jesse would have died by Zoom's hands… And what about Caitlin?! Maybe she would've even fallen for Hunter Zolomon instead of for me and then we'd really be in a pickle!"

"Harry!" Eventually, Cisco was the one to stop his stream of words. "Let's just calm down, ok? So maybe we do have a speed lab now, but it's not that bad, isn't it? At least it's a place where speedsters can actually train like your daughter is doing ring now."

That actually did divert Wells' attention from telling Barry off, but only because he realized that Ramon was, indeed, right and Jesse wasn't by her father's side anymore, instead having fun speeding.

"Oh, that's just great…"

"…not," both Barry and Cisco murmured under their breaths, making fun of Harry, but he did hear them anyway and narrowed his eyes at them, rendering them silent.

"That was so awesome!" Jesse called out in excitement as she now stood by her father's side. "Did you see that?!"

"Girl, you got some speed!" Caitlin told her with a huge smile on her face.

"In fact, you're faster than Barry was once he got his powers," Cisco informed.

"That's awesome!"

"Wait… wait… no," Harrison protested just then and Snow really had the urge to roll her eyes at the man. She loved him, she really did and she'd rather he was there by her side than on his earth even when he was angry, but this was just getting ridiculous.

"Harry," she started and sighed, his attention immediately going back to her as he was worried about her, too, because of her powers. "We're all exhausted. Can we just do the rest tomorrow?"

"Great idea!" Jesse agreed. "I am starving!" And she sped off, probably to the Big Belly Burger.

"Argh!" Harry uttered in rage. "Look what you've done!"

"She'll be fine. Don't worry," Cisco tried comforting the older man when the both of them and Snow remained the only people in the speed lab. "She won't come up against any metahuman right now, so just cut her some slack. Besides, if someone does resurface, then the team will take care of them, not her, ok? I'm heading off. It's been a long day, guys! See you tomorrow!" He patted Harry's back and left the speed lab.

"I still don't like this," Harrison said when bracing himself on the edge of the desk.

Caitlin felt sorry for him when she now took in his appearance and she walked over to him, putting her arms around him, hugging his back. She could feel his heart beating fast underneath the palms of her hands and when she thought of her powers just then, she was momentarily scared that it seemed so easy for her to hurt him now. One wrong move, one wrong touch and… then again, he was just about the only thing that made her feel warm, so maybe she wasn't in any danger.

"It's just…" he said and sighed, finally relaxing under her touch. "One moment I'm leaving the woman I love in what I think are safe hands of our friends and then, in the next, not only my daughter gains speed because she was hit with the dark matter, but you, too. It's too much. And Jesse's my fault."

"You were just trying to give Barry his speed back, so you could get _me_ back," Caitlin reminded him, pressing herself harder against his back, breathing along with him. "You couldn't have known. And me… well, I won't pretend and say everything's fine, because the truth is that I'm scared, Harry. I am really scared, but your presence makes everything better, so there's that."

He sighed and then he turned to face her, putting his own arms around her.

"What I would do without you?" he asked, looking at her with so much love in his eyes that it took her breath away.

"Eventually become a lonely and grumpy old man?" she teased him.

"Now, you see, _that_ isn't fair," he pretended to be offended.

"Kidding. You have so many good years still ahead of you and hopefully, you will have me there through every single one of them."

"I missed you," he suddenly confessed.

"I missed you, too," she said it right back with a smile, feeling like she was already getting herself lost in his eyes. She truly missed them, too. And him. And his lips. And body. Heat. Just… _everything_. She didn't know who she was without him anymore.

"I love you," he then said when leaning forward and pressing his lips against her own, kissing her slowly, lovingly, showing her just as much.

"I love you, too. What do you say we head out for the night?" she suggested then when snuggling up into his chest, feeling so deliciously warm in his arms.

"Only if by out you mean your apartment," he hinted.

"You got it, dr. Wells."

* * *

They'd only had sex once so far. Well, technically it was _one night_ , not _one_ time, but still. Despite it all, there was no awkwardness between them now, just heat and love as they ended up in Snow's bedroom again, kissing ardently, making up for the lost time. Harrison intended to go slow, but once Caitlin's hands slipped under his black sweater and ran up his chest to eventually pull the piece of clothing over his head and get rid of it, he was long gone, his hands already getting rid of her blouse and a button fell to the floor as he was too eager to explore and re-familiarize himself with her body. Next, her white bra joined his discarded sweater and her blouse and he pushed her towards the bed, immediately finding himself above her, bracing himself on his forearms as he was kissing a trail down her chest, his tongue and lips and teeth at use, sucking on her nipples before grazing it gently and ending up licking her navel.

She giggled just then, burying her hands in his hair and then cupping his face to bring him back up again.

"I'm done with foreplay," she said breathlessly against his lips before she kissed him again and deeply. "I want you now. I _need_ you now."

"And here I had a whole seduction plan prepared," he pretended to complain with a smile.

"You can show me tomorrow. You had me at Snow," she assured him and he smiled again, pulling the skirt down her legs along with her tights and underwear that soon joined the clothes scattered on the floor.

She tried to get to his pants in the same time, not having much luck until he actually stilled and let her pull down the zipper so she could grasp him firmly.

He quickly got rid of the last piece of garment, throwing it haphazardly to the floor before settling comfortably between her open legs as she guided him inside and finally, he was sinking into her heat, groaning deeply in his throat, not knowing how he'd even survived the past few weeks without her by his side.

When he was inside her all the way, he suddenly stilled, cupped her face and looked her deeply in the eye.

"No matter what happens, we'll get through it together," he promised her and then had to wipe a stray tear that escaped her eye as she just nodded, too emotional to respond by any other way. "I love you," he said and kissed her lips when finally pulling out and back in again, his groans joining her soft whimpers as she held onto him desperately, giving herself over to him completely until they were both lost within each other, fastening up, needing to reach their release together. It had truly been way too long.

She kept telling him to go faster and eventually when he changed the angle and hit that sweet spot inside of her one more time, she cried out his name, digging her nails into the skin of his back, coming powerfully all over him and bringing him over the edge. He followed right after, not able to hold back anymore, calling her name until he released himself inside of her and then they just lay there together, bodies still entwined together, breathless.

"I'm never leaving you again." She didn't know whether she imagined him saying that to her or whether he really did it. She knew it to be true, though and in that moment she had hope. She had hope that with him and her friends by her side she could never become a bad person. Whatever powers were given to her by this cruel twist of fate, Harrison and the team would never give up on her. She could do this.

With that in mind, she fell deeply asleep for the first time in weeks, his arms enveloping her, his heart beating so close to her own and in such a synch that they as well might've been one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone asked me in a comment whether I'd take into account the six months that passed between season 2 and 3, but I just rewatched 3x02 and Felicity clearly says – you lived in an alternative reality and came back to the place you left. There was no time passing since Barry came back to the same porch on which he kissed Iris. Only she wasn't there because of the change.
> 
> Did you notice me dropping hints all over this chapter? Hints about the let-down of season 2 when it comes to snowells potential and some other stuff I'm sure you will catch up on if you love this show and the couple as much as I do. There'll be more in the next chap as well:D Also, if you're fans of my snowells videos, you will notice some scenes that I put there and couldn't help to recreate here. Call it my own personal Easter eggs LOL


	12. Chapter 12

The moment Caitlin opened her eyes the next morning, she couldn't rid of an impression that she was being watched. Just then, when she finally registered that she was, indeed, lying in her own bed and boy, not only bed since she could feel the arms of the man she loved enveloping her; she realized it was Harry that was staring at her.

"Aren't you afraid I'd change?" she eventually asked, coming back in her thoughts to the biggest issue at hand. And here they thought that once he actually came back, everything would be normal for the first time since… _ever_? She wondered, nearly sighing when pulling his arm closer to her chest and hugging it to her cheek. Maybe she should finally get used to the idea that nothing would ever be normal in their lives.

"No," she got a steady and firm answer as he pulled her further in, closing in his embrace. "I don't believe that. Just because your doppelganger had the same powers, doesn't mean you will turn evil, Caitlin."

She smiled on hearing that, appreciating his presence and his belief in her so much she kind of had no idea how to even put it into words. Simple 'I love you' didn't seem like enough.

"Thank you for sticking around once you found out," she eventually settled for, trying to be all cool about it, but her voice still came out a little bit emotional.

"Snow, are you even serious?" he asked then in slight agitation and pulled away a little so he could look into her face. "I already told you I loved you. What more do you need to believe I'm here to stay? Those powers you have… it's just a hiccup."

He managed to make her laugh for the first time this day and she was sure it wouldn't be the last. "A hiccup?" she repeated after him, stunned and still laughing.

"Oh, yeah. Nothing we cannot handle, dr. Snow," he assured her with his eyes set on hers. They actually darkened and it was no surprise, truly, since she could feel him already hard against her. Must've been some kind of a morning. "We can totally deal with that once we deal with Jesse," he assured her again when she shifted to the side, running her hand through his already messy curls. He just looked so disheveled in the morning and she found it adorable and cute. She loved that sight and she wanted to wake up to it for the rest of her life.

"Oh, will you let that one go already?" she huffed at the mention of his daughter's powers.

"I can't."

"Harry, she has speed. It's nothing bad. If so, it may even come handy. Last year she was kidnapped by Zoom and she had nothing to fight him with," he flinched when she pointed that out, "and now she has speed. She has powers. You should be grateful that she can defend herself."

"Yeah, I should… not! Since she can also run herself into that much more trouble!" he started working himself up again.

Snow, on the other hand, was having none of it as she suddenly straddled him, taking a hold of his length and running her hands along it, earning a groan from his lips.

"Fine," she said, "then I will simply make you forget." She released him from her hold, now running her hands up his chest until she cupped his face and leaned forward to kiss him good morning. "Better?" she asked then.

"Oh, yes," he groaned in response, his hands immediately going up to cup and massage her breasts, thoughts fleeting from his head until only this remained. "Yes, this is a perfect idea." He nodded in appreciation when she raised up and then slowly sunk into him, taking him in until he was sheathed in her all the way.

"God, you feel so good," she told him when leaning forward again to kiss him, though rather sloppily since she already started moving over him, riding him, feeling his hands sliding down her sides, settling on her hips before cupping her buttocks and squeezing gently, earning another whimper from her.

"Oh, you have no idea," he agreed and they stopped talking after this, just enjoying each other, being in this perfect moment until Snow fastened up, too eager to reach her peak, to eager to come around him and feel him come inside of her.

Once they were done, she fell into his open arms that immediately closed around her.

"That's what I want, Snow," she suddenly heard him say as he stroked her hair, his voice growing serious. "That's what I want for the rest of my life," he then added and she stilled, afraid her heart would explode in joy on hearing those honest words. "I don't care about anything else. We can deal with it all. I just want this. With you. Always."

She kept on staying still, stunned, feeling her eyes actually prickling, an indication that tears were coming.

"That…" she eventually managed to say in a changed voice, "sounded like a declaration, dr. Wells," she finished when raising up and then leaving his body, lying on her back right next to him.

"Too much too soon?" he asked when turning his head to look at her, worry evident in his voice.

"No, not at all," she assured him when meeting his eyes, her hand searching blindly for his in the covers and finally finding it, squeezing gently. "It's perfect," she assured him, then sat up and stole one more kiss before she jumped off the bed and headed for the bathroom.

"Provided you won't kill me first!" he called after her, wanting to unload the heavy atmosphere. He watched her gorgeous body as she was walking away.

"Oh, dr. Wells, you have more stamina than you give yourself credit for," she teased him, throwing him a smile and then the door to the bathroom closed after her.

He took a deep breath, steadying his heart rate, just lying there in bed, enjoying the lazy morning and bracing himself for what was to come that day. He still had to deal with Jesse. And then with Snow's powers, her name now becoming the biggest irony, he suddenly realized.

* * *

Once Harrison finally dragged himself out of bed that still smelt like her, and headed for the shower; Snow, fully clothed, directed herself to the kitchen.

When he emerged from the bathroom, having taken his own shower, only a towel wrapped loosely around his hips; at the sight of him she nearly dropped the pot of coffee she was holding in her hand.

"Something's wrong?" he asked.

"Um… nope, no," she denied way too fast, her mouth already salivating as she took in the sight of his toned chest on which she could still notice a few droplets of water he forgot to wipe off and then the v line that was so tantalizing…

"Snow, you're staring," he pointed out as though she didn't know it herself.

"Yep."

"So… maybe you could stop before you'll give me another erection. You do know we have to show up in the Labs today, don't you?"

"It's all your fault!" she suddenly raised her voice, finally putting the coffee pot on the table. "Get dressed for God's sake! You're too hot for your own good!"

He laughed and that captivated her on a completely new level.

"Clothes! Now!" she called to him and he turned around, all smug. "I made some room for you in my closet!" she then added and he came to a stop. "Um… is that too soon?" she suddenly asked, her voice unsure. "I just…" she started tangling herself up. "I just thought that… you know… with… I mean, you're here to stay, so I thought you should call this place your home and not that terrible room in the Labs…"

"It's perfect, Snow. Thank you," he just said with another smile to calm her down. "I guess… This… this is still new to me. Honestly, after my wife died I never thought I could find something real and strong again… and…" his voice suddenly grew hoarse and she couldn't help but walk over to him and put her arms around him, enjoying the feel of his naked skin under her face and hands and the fresh scent of his body as he just came out of the shower. She always enjoyed him, actually.

"I know. Me, too," she just said when pulling away and he kissed her slowly, sweetly before finally moving to her bedroom and dropping the towel on his way, giving her an excellent view of his backside.

"Now _that_ is what _I_ could get used to seeing every morning," she murmured under her breath when grabbing her cup of coffee and smiling brightly.

* * *

Caitlin didn't know what to do anymore as they were back at the speed lab and just now she and Cisco were witnessing Harrison loudly arguing with his daughter. It was obvious to Snow that he was worried about Jesse and the speed she now possessed, but maybe a little bit of that anxiousness also came from her, from Cait and her own trouble. Still, this was just getting ridiculous. He was clearly working himself up over an issue that in the end would probably turn out just fine with Jesse being a speedster.

Needless to say, as a result the girl only felt insulted, yet once again and strode off, abandoning the tests they were still conveying.

"Oh, this is so not happening," Harry groaned when placing his hands on his head and rubbing his temples.

"I think you need to take a breather here, man," Cisco dared say and Caitlin hissed, knowing this was definitely not the right approach.

And just as she predicted, Harrison erupted even more.

"Take a breather?!" he yelled at Cisco, gesticulating wildly. "This is my daughter we're talking about! And everything was fine until she was hit with the dark matter and suddenly, bum!, she got speed and she wants to be just like Barry Allen and I think that's great idea… _NOT!_ "

There was sudden silence as Wells took a deep breath and Cisco just shot Caitlin a look.

"Why are you looking at me like this?" she asked him with a frown. Did he really expect she would help him now after he managed to agitate Harry even more?!

"Well, I'm looking at you like this because this is clearly your fault!" her friend completely surprised her by accusing her.

"Whoa! How is this my fault?!" Caitlin wanted to know, taken aback and even Harry frowned at Ramon, not getting where the younger man was going with this.

"If you gave Harry here the night of his dreams, then maybe he wouldn't be so impossible to stand today!" Cisco erupted and both Caitlin's eyes and mouth opened widely.

"WHAT?!" was all she could utter.

"What?" Cisco looked from her to an equally stunned Harrison and then asked, "Aren't you guys having sex? Which, you know, it's supposed to relax and not do the opposite?"

Whereas Snow just stood there, rendered speechless, her mouth still hanging open, not believing Cisco just said that; Harry quickly shot him down, feeling very proud of himself out of a sudden, "Of course we are having sex, Ramon!" he answered and Caitlin just had to look at him with a frown. Because seriously, how dared he play this silly little game with Cisco? "Which is something I clearly cannot say about _you_ ," Harry added immediately and Caitlin just rolled her eyes, seeing _why_ now.

"Hey! That… that ain't right!" Cisco eventually pointed his finger at Wells and then looked back at Cait who started to rethink the usefulness of her presence there. Maybe it would be better if she just left them to scream at each other… "Then why are you so tensed up, man?!" her friend eventually screamed, his voice growing weirdly thin.

"Just for your information, Cisco," Caitlin finally said when moving to her friend and patting his shoulder playfully, "I think it's his default mode." After that, she headed straight to exit.

"Wait… Snow!" Harry called after her in exasperation.

"Great!" Cisco huffed, placing his hands on his hips. "Where's a nice and sweet Wells when you actually need him?!"

"Snow!" Harrison ignored him and called after his lady one more time, but she just shook her head, already in the door.

"It's your mess to clean up, Harry! Better find Jesse!" she threw his way without even looking at him.

"I think it would be better if you dealt with this trouble in paradise first," Cisco advised him on the contrary. "Because if Cait wants to kick you back to Earth Two, I will help. I'm not even kidding!"

If only a look could kill, Harry thought with a sigh and eventually chose to head after Snow. Not that he actually decided to listen to Ramon, he just followed his own gut, searching out Caitlin first.

* * *

Jesse was out with Wally anyway, of which Allen informed him when he saw Wells walking down the hall. Still, Caitlin seemed like a more urgent matter and only the two of them knew why that was.

"Snow…" he said her name when he finally reached her lab and saw her just sitting there by her desk with her chin braced on her hands. "Caitlin…" he tried one more time, calling her by her first name.

"Harry, I told you," she started to get mad, but then just sighed, seeming to have given up. "You should go after Jesse. I never asked whether she was staying with you here or coming back, but she's still the most urgent matter you need to take care of now and I get it."

"No, you don't get anything," he disagreed and she just had to raise her eyes to meet his.

He ran a hand over his mouth, just standing there, not knowing how to start and eventually he grabbed a swiveling chair and brought it over so he could sit right in front of her.

She faced him, straightening up as he approached her, wondering what this was all about. He surely looked serious.

"This isn't about Jesse at all, is it?" Caitlin finally understood as the silence grew too heavy.

He sighed before he nodded, avoiding her eyes.

"You're working yourself up over Jesse because you don't want to face _my_ problem with _my_ powers," she guessed correctly one more time and saw him bringing a hand to his face and rubbing the space between his eyes. Somewhere along the way he'd seemed to misplace his glasses, but she welcomed that. She liked the vulnerable look in his blue eyes she now had the unobscured view of. The worst part was that they also seemed to be haunted.

"I just…" he started and shook his head. "I know we have to conduct tests of our own and we have to hide it from the team because you don't want to tell them…"

"No." She shook her head, still not buying it. "That's not your problem either. Harry, be honest here. You're worried about _me_. Not Jesse. I mean, of course you worry a little that she might get overconfident, but in the end she is a speedster. They heal fast. Those powers… you should both treat them as a blessing because thanks to them she will never be vulnerable again. It's me what you're truly freaking out over."

"That is definitely not the word I would use," he quickly disagreed when reaching for her hands, turning them palms up as though he expected the ice to appear there again. Eventually, he just closed them inside his own.

"Did we just have our first fight that Cisco accidentally witnessed?" Caitlin suddenly asked, just to unload the heavy atmosphere and Harry chuckled.

"I wouldn't say accidentally. He's quite the drama queen. He enjoyed the show."

She smiled. "Maybe, but you were so rude. Harry, you know what a terrible luck he has with women and…"

"Stop it. It's not about Ramon. It's about us. He can handle himself and I'm sure when the time is right, the right girl will come along," Harrison dismissed her worries. "It always does, doesn't it?" His words seemed to convey double meaning just there and she smiled again, actually reaching out and touching his face.

"I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you're here. I truly have no idea what I would do without you. I don't think I could deal with these… powers alone."

"You will never have to as long as I live, Snow," he assured her, covering her hand on his face and eventually taking it into his own again, bringing it to his lips to place a soft kiss there.

"I don't want you to worry too much about me, Harry," she then said. "I'm sorry this isn't an ideal situation for you…"

"You don't have anything to apologize for," he quickly interrupted her. "It's Allen who has it coming. I still haven't come up with a proper enough punishment for him."

"He meant well."

"Yeah," Harry snorted, "and hell is always paved with good intentions. I just wish…" He shook his head, looking aside. "Why didn't I ask you to come with me to Earth Two? Just for a while? It seems like such an obvious move now. We could be together while I settled all the things I needed to take care of…"

"And I wouldn't be affected by the changes in the timeline?" she guessed. "Harry, you couldn't have known. Besides, if you had taken me with you, I would have been too much of a distraction."

"So?" he asked, sparks in his eyes. "Maybe I would've stayed on Earth Two longer, but there would've been no hurry anyway."

"Stop it." She shut him down just then. "We cannot change things. We can only move forward, so you need to talk to Jesse and settle things between you two already so we could sit down and test my powers."

He nodded, closing his eyes for a few brief seconds.

"Could you maybe…?" he started then when raising his eyes to hers again and she knew immediately what he meant.

"Oh, no!" she disagreed. "No, mister! I will not talk to your daughter for you! And even if I have powers of my own now, the difference is that I want to get rid of them and Jesse wants hers to stay. You won't get away that easily! Go and fix your own mess!"

He actually smiled at her, then he kissed her briefly on the lips before getting up from his chair and heading for the door.

"I love you," he still said before leaving.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Caitlin couldn't be more proud of her man when at the end of the day not only he managed to get through to Jesse and make his peace with the girl, but he also allowed her to go out into the field because Barry clearly needed help when facing the newest metahuman in town, dr. Alchemy's creation from flashpoint – Magenta.

And Jesse killed it.

Snow was truly happy to see the proud look on Harrison's face when he realized what his little girl did, how she helped save the day. It was about time, Caitlin thought then when smiling at him brightly and seeing him smile right back at her.

Little did Harry know that Cisco already had something prepared for his daughter and he handed it over to the older man now.

"What is this?" Harry asked in confusion when accepting the box.

"This, my friend," Cisco started with a bright smile on his face, "is a suit for Jesse. I've been working on it non-stop ever since you two arrived. I just thought maybe you wanted to give it to her yourself."

Caitlin waited in anticipation for what Harry would say, seeing that Cisco went out of his way to make this and leave the gift for Harry to hand over to his daughter and all of that despite what the older man had said to him earlier in anger.

"I… um…" Harry got stuck, Cait watching his ministrations carefully until she made her way to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Well, thank you, Ramon," he eventually got it out, his voice a little strained, though he tried his best to sound as always, gruff and unaffected. "Really. And… um… I'm sorry for before, ok? Any girl would be lucky to have you. Well, any except Snow or my daughter for that matter, but… Yeah, they're off limits. Everyone else, though, is fair game."

Snow cringed on hearing that, but then again, she shouldn't really expect anything better from the awkward man that Harrison was and then it just hit her how much she loved him and all those strange behaviors of his. He was so socially awkward that it seemed a miracle to her that he'd fit into their team somehow. She even wondered briefly what would've happened if they hadn't gotten so close, but then she'd rather not think about it at all, grateful that they had, indeed.

"Ok, I'll take that," Cisco decided with a nod of his head. "And I should… yeah, apologize for my lack of tact earlier on…" he started carefully.

"Never mention it again," Harry threatened, his voice back to normal and then he seemed taken aback that Cisco gave him a hug.

"Now, go find your daughter," the younger man advised.

"Will do."

"That was… sweet. And smooth. I'm proud of you two," Caitlin said to her friend once Harry was gone; a bright smile on her face.

"Yeah, he might turn out all right in the end," Cisco teased her, bumping his shoulder with hers. "Though, a tough nut to crack you found yourself there, miss Snow."

"What can I say? Love doesn't choose."

"No. No, it doesn't," Cisco agreed, folding his arms on his chest. "But you know what? The most important thing is that he makes you happy. I couldn't have asked for more for you, Cait. You deserve it."

"Thank you, Cisco. It really means a lot," she said, actually fighting tears by now. Then she reached for him to hug him and she suddenly wondered what it would be like to finally come out to the team about her powers. Something told her that they would be supportive and would fight for her just as hard as Harry was. Still, she wasn't ready for that big step just yet, needing to run a few more tests first.

* * *

Jesse decided to stick around for a few more days before she would leave for Earth Two and Harry couldn't agree more, still thinking she needed more training under Barry's eye. She didn't accept Caitlin's invitation to crush on her couch, though, assuring the woman and her dad that she would be totally fine in her old room in the Labs. Harry thought she might have a hidden agenda there, not wanting to interrupt once he and Snow were finally together for real and happy, but he didn't say anything to that, eventually leaving with his girlfriend.

The next day they again headed together for S.T.A.R. Labs, but on their way Harry offered to make a quick run to the Jitters to grab coffee and fresh bagels, so Snow arrived in the cortex alone, walking slowly in hope he might still catch up with her. Next thing she knew, she was completely taken aback when she spotted Wells there. Still, something seemed to be off about him…

"Oh, Cait!" Cisco called out to her when she was just standing in the entrance, confused, seeing Harrison, but in the same time he seemed different from his clothing style to the hair. "This is dr. Caitlin Snow," her friend turned to the man in question. "And this is Harrison Wells of Earth Nineteen! Imagine my surprise when he popped in this morning! He seems pretty cool and needs a place to stay for a while, so I thought…"

"We all thought we could use him," Barry backed Cisco up whereas Caitlin was just stunned, staring at the newest addition to the team.

"Um…" she eventually uttered, still in shock. "And why is that? I mean, don't get me wrong, dr. Wells," she quickly turned to the stranger. "It's just… we already have a Harrison Wells here."

"Oh, call me HR!" the man chirped when coming over to her, taking her hand and kissing it. "At your service!"

Her eyes opened widely as this was clearly enough to notice this man was not alike any Wells she'd known so far and might just be a complete opposite to the Harry she was in love with.

"Um… yeah… Cisco?" She turned to her friend quickly. "Does this have something to do with your wish to have a nicer Wells around? Did you do this?"

"What? No!" Cisco denied. "Come on! I swear, this dude just popped in and we thought we'd give him a chance!"

"Aha," Caitlin said, biting on her lip, still confused and not at all convinced that having Harry around _this_ version of himself was a good idea. Then again, in Cisco's mind it was probably a perfect idea since the men would surely drive each other crazy to which she was already groaning inwardly.

"I seek out a new adventure, so to speak," HR informed her, completely unfazed. "This Earth seems like a nice change and hey! You got coffee! It's all gone from mine, so I just need to fix you all some good espresso machine! I still can't believe that you, guys, don't have one here!"

"Right," Cait just said with a nod, her eyes still opened widely as she tried to take it all in.

"You're just as sweet as pie, aren't you?" HR then asked her and pulled another weird face. "Single?" he followed with.

"No. She. Is. _Not_ ," they suddenly heard coming from the entrance and turned to see Harry standing there and glaring at his doppelganger.

"Oh, they told me about you! You're handsome!" HR chirped towards him, not feeling insulted at all by his counterpart's gruffness.

"I… I know," Harry eventually said, a look of disgust passing through his face as he looked his doppelganger up and down with a frown.

"And you totally beat me to this lovely lady right here, didn't ya?"

"I _have_ ," he assured HR, leaving the bags he got from the Jitters on the desk and making his way to Snow, putting his arm around her possessively.

And truly, she felt like laughing. Because his jealously was so obvious. She just hoped he knew she was totally in love with him and no other man, no matter whether he looked exactly like him, would ever change that.

"What is this supposed to mean?!" Harry next attacked Cisco and boy, he was pissed! "You make a decision like this without the consent of the whole team?!"

"Dude, you're barely even here! Even when you are on this earth, you usually hide away in your lab that you chose at the other side of the Labs or you're with Cait! Besides, you did just get here!"

"To _stay_ ," he emphasized. "I can't have another me running around!"

"Why?" Snow couldn't help it but ask playfully, turning her face to him. "You're scared he'll ruin your reputation? Come on, the both of you can't even show yourselves in public," she reminded. "At least not without a small disguise."

"Something that we clearly need to fix," Harry sighed, tightening his hold on her.

"Wait… why is that?" HR wanted to know and both Cisco and Barry hissed, exchanging glances.

"You didn't tell him?" Harry got interested. "Ah! That's a good one! Have fun with that!" he threw HR's way.

Once the guys were talking to HR, Caitlin glanced at Harry and then she exclaimed, not able to stop herself anymore, "You're totally jealous!"

"What?" he seemed taken aback. "I am not!"

"You are! You so are! And it's so cute!" He rolled his eyes, a mad expression marring his features. An expression which she found adorable, actually, so she cupped his face and kissed him. "You know, in case I haven't made this clear already, I only have eyes for you, Harrison Wells from Earth Two. You're the only dr. Wells I could ever want," she whispered into his ear then and that actually seemed to placate him a little.

"Whoa!" Jesse came to a sudden stop as she just now entered the cortex. "What the hell was in that drink last night?! Why do I see double?"

" _Drink_?" Harry immediately bristled, already searching for Wally, because who else could…

Snow couldn't stop herself anymore. She burst out laughing, thinking that maybe it was a good change. Maybe with everything going around she could actually use some entertainment.


	13. Chapter 13

After the initial greetings with HR, they didn't exactly had much time to try and get to know him better because the next crisis arose and completely devoured their attention with two metahuman criminals on the loose.

"So," Barry was just saying, trying to wrap his mind around the new power couple in town, "this guy can move through… mirrors?"

"He can use the reflective surface of just about anything," Caitlin corrected. "I think the key to stopping him would be trapping him in a darkened room?" she hinted.

"Yeah, but first you need to actually get him there."

"I wonder what should we call him…" Cisco grabbed his chin while thinking.

"Mirror Master," Harry just said.

"What?! Man! That is so… not cool!" the younger guy immediately bristled, disappointed that he didn't get to name the newest meta whereas Caitlin just exchanged smiles with Harry and then actually high fived him. "Oh, so this is how it's gonna be from now on?! You two against me?!"

Caitlin shrugged, proud of her man to come up with a perfect name so fast and with one that actually fitted on the contrary to all of her own feeble attempts in the past.

"His girlfriend, though, it's another story," she then proceeded to the blonde, the Mirror Master's partner. "She can evoke an impression of a crushing vertigo."

"Tap! She's a tap! Hah?!" Cisco turned to Harry just then, a proud smile on his face. "You were too slow this time!"

The older man only fixed him with his glare. "You're forgetting that I still came up with the first name."

"And I did with the second! Wanna keep score?!"

"You guys are so cute," Caitlin cooed whereas Barry just asked, "Guys, really? We actually have two metas here to catch and…"

"Oh!" they suddenly heard coming from behind them and they all turned to see HR standing in the entrance with a fresh cup of coffee in his hand. Caitlin was pretty sure that during his short staying in the Labs he'd already managed to become addicted to it. "Is this what you do around here, Harry?" he turned to his suddenly growling doppelganger; the smile, yet, never fading from his face.

"You mean _what_ exactly?" Harry followed, a frown marring his features as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Naming them, of course! That's so cool!" HR raised his cup.

"Wait! No! That ain't right! That's _my_ job!" Cisco protested immediately whereas Harrison just narrowed his eyes, clearly pissed.

"No," he agreed with Cisco slowly, his voice full of venom. "I'm actually a genius around here and you are just a moron!"

"Harry!" Caitlin immediately chastised him. "You can't just be so mean!"

"Oh, yeah? And you'll do what exactly?" he asked her, fixing her with his blue stare, but she was having none of it. She was not gonna let him act like this around this poor man who was only trying to be nice and was doing his best to get to know them all.

"You're just pissed because he looks like you and we actually like him _more_!" Cisco turned to Harrison with this gut punching sentence.

"Oh, really? You don't even _know_ him!" Harry yelled right back. "And I put my life on the line for you guys multiple times!"

"Us or _her_?" Cisco pointed Snow.

"Are we really gonna do this now?"

"Just stop! OK?!" Barry screamed out of the sudden. "Hello! We actually got metahumans to catch!"

"Naming metas is what I usually pride myself on," Cisco ignored his friend and turned to HR, making it all clear, "along with being a genius myself."

"Yeah, right," Harry snorted. "You'd already be dead if it wasn't…"

"HEY!" Caitlin had to really holler this one, but she managed to successfully render them all silent. "Ok, good! _Now_ you're listening! So once you're done measuring dicks, can we maybe come back to the issue at hand? Harry, come with me!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the exit whereas Cisco walked over to HR, leaving Barry alone with the newest metas.

"Great, no one's into catching those two anymore?" Allen huffed before taking a seat in front of the computer screen himself.

"Can we maybe move to my earth, Snow?" Harry asked her once they were out the door.

"Nope. You made the decision to stay. You are not quitting just because of this small hiccup that is HR."

Harry actually chuckled, all the tension gone just like that, because she was there. And then he started to laugh. "You actually told us to stop measuring…?"

"Oh, shut it! Come on!"

Still, he couldn't stop laughing.

"I'd win. I would definitely win."

"No," she disagreed just then.

"Hey!" he felt insulted. "You can't honestly tell me that Barry or Cisco…"

Snow rolled her eyes, doing her best not to burst out laughing.

"I meant HR," she reminded him. "As far as I'm concerned, you're exactly alike when not counting your personalities."

"Is this your way of letting me know that if I piss you off again, you're gonna replace me?"

 

Maybe it was this tiny, tiny bit of doubt and insecurity that she managed to catch in his voice as he was clearly scared that the team would like his doppelganger better just because he was _nice_ , or maybe she was just tired of joking, so she came to a stop and told him, "I already said there is only one Harry for me."

"Good answer," he appreciated with a smile before reaching for her face and kissing her.

"And I really meant _work_ when I pulled you away," she then reminded him. "We have to run tests on me, remember?"

The smile faded away as he remembered about her powers.

"You do know how to shoot a guy down, Snow, I'll give you that," he said and it was probably meant to cheer her up, but once she started thinking of her powers, she couldn't stop. They had to run those tests or else she'd go crazy with worry.

* * *

 

Maybe they should have dealt with one thing at a time, Caitlin thought when biting her lip and watching Barry trapped in a mirror. And he wasn't the only one affected. Jesse had actually been whammied by Tap and fallen off a building. Luckily, Barry caught her in time, but just that distraction caused him to be trapped in a mirror… _Perfect_ , Snow thought. Now she still didn't have the results of her tests and she even if she did, she wouldn't be able to talk them over with Harry since he was too worried about both the Flashes. _Just great._

"Snow," he now spoke to her, his hand on her shoulder as he approached her from behind. She relaxed a bit under his touch, his close proximity causing her to calm down. "It's gonna be all right," he said in such a low voice that only she was able to hear him.

She truly got herself a wonderful man, she thought just then, actually getting all mushy, the worry gone as she covered his hand on her shoulder with her own, enjoying the warmth of his skin. He might seem mean and gruff on the outside, but once a person got to actually know the real him, they saw how loving, caring and gentle he could be. And that would be tragic if only she hadn't gotten closer to him. She thanked her lucky stars every time she thought that. She was grateful that she'd managed to notice him and refuse to give up on him. Just as now, he was refusing to give up on her.

"Jesse will be fine, too, I promise," she whispered to him, watching from afar as Barry, Cisco, Iris and Joe were communicating, wondering what they should do.

"I know. I'm actually more worried about Barry at the moment… Wait a sec…" there was a familiar spark in his eyes just then, indicating that he had an idea.

"What is it, Harry?"

"You know, you could actually help him. By lowering the temperature. Maybe it would work."

"No," she said right away, not even thinking it through. "I can't. I'm not ready… I… They can't know just yet. Not until we know where I stand, Harry."

"Where _we_ stand," he corrected her, giving her shoulder a little squeeze. "But it's all right. I have something else in mind and let's just hope it'll be enough."

* * *

Only in the end it wasn't.

Luckily for them all, though, once the team was occupied in the cortex and Barry left alone, Caitlin was able to get close enough to ice the mirror he was trapped in and then run away before he realized he was free. From there it was simple, truly, as Barry with the help of Jesse, who was really quick to learn and, as Caitlin could see, was the pride of Harrison's; came up with a simple mirror trick and captured both the Mirror Master and the Tap.

That night Jesse also declared she was going back home, so they all gathered up in the lab, saying goodbye. Well, all except HR as the man had mentioned something earlier about going out to find the perfect espresso machine; the fact that he couldn't show his face around being a non-issue as he'd proudly introduced them to a very useful – and very dangerous – device that was able to put some kind of a cloaking mechanism over his features, making people see someone else. The moment Harry found out about it, he was thrilled, saying that maybe now HR could wear a different face, but unfortunately for him, the man only decided to cloak himself when being around strangers.

"Are you absolutely sure you can handle your powers on your own?" Harrison asked Jesse one more time before she would leave, hugging her tightly.

"Dad, I'm not twelve!" she protested when hugging him back and then finally letting go. "In case you've forgotten, I'm quick…"

"…to learn, yes," he smiled, which was new around the team as he'd recently only kept on frowning, making it clear how much he hated HR's presence, being nothing but hostile towards the man. "I almost did forget I used to call you my Jesse Quick when you were little and so, so much smarter than all of your peers put together."

Jessed smiled to him brightly.

"I think this could just be my new superhero name," she mentioned. "Jesse Quick."

"Miss the first one, girl," Cisco advised her when reaching for her to give her a hug as well.

In response, Jesse only sighed. "Does it even matter?" she asked. "All there'll ever gonna see is the Flash anyway."

"But you make a hell of a great one," Barry complimented her. "You've learnt more in the short time you were here than I did in weeks when first getting my powers."

"Thanks, Barry."

"Just remember," Harrison reminded her one more time before Cisco opened up a breach, "the moment you face something you cannot handle, you call. You can always ask us for help and we'll be there. _I_ will be there."

"Dad, it's fine, really," she had to assure him one more time. "I know, ok? And you know me. I will ask for help when I need it."

"All right, then. That's all I need to know, I guess," he sighed. "Take care, my Jesse Quick and keep in touch."

"You, too," she told him and then finally turned to Caitlin. "Thank you for making my dad happier than I thought he could be again."

Caitlin was already touched and emotional and Jesse's words just now brought tears to her eyes. She was unable to fight them anymore as she swept the girl into her arms.

"Thank you for being so cool about this," she told her.

"Oh, are you kidding me? You're perfect! And I'm pretty sure I already said that." Jesse winked at the older woman. "You're the best choice my dad could ever make! See you, guys!"

"Be careful!" Harry still called after her, but she didn't catch his last words, already being swept into a portal Cisco had just made.

Now that _that_ was taken care of, there was another emergency needing both Caitlin's and Harrison's attention, the first thought, the smile on her face fading away quickly. Now they had to figure out everything there was to know about the nature of her powers and how to stop them.

* * *

"This isn't good," Harrison said when looking over Caitlin's test results. He wasn't able to understand every single thing as it was advanced biochemistry and therefore not among his many majors, but from what Caitlin had explained and from what he could see, this was most definitely _not_ good.

"I know. From the looks of it…" Caitlin could just stare at the screen of her laptop that she brought to the Labs today so she didn't have to use one of the cortex's computers. "There is no reversing these powers… Harry, I…" she knew she was beginning to panic and she couldn't help it. She was beyond terrified. She already thought of everything and nothing, absolutely _nothing_ she came up with brought her closer to solving this problem. "I've never before actually tried to reverse the influence the dark matter has on a body… I… I'm not sure it's even doable… I…" She began shaking and then he was suddenly there behind her, his arms put around her, closing her in his steady and warm embrace.

She stayed like that, breathing his scent in deeply through the nose and then breathing out through the mouth, trying to calm herself down. She forced herself to remember that she had this brilliant man by her side for better and worse. She knew he wouldn't leave. He would stay and even if the situation was impossible, he would still fight for her. In the end, she couldn't be more grateful for that and no matter how screwed up her life was now on both chemical and biological levels with her powers and the changes in her DNA, this was steady. She and Harry were steady.

And that was truly all she needed.

"I cannot thank you enough," she eventually said when finally relaxing under his touch, his lips now pressing into the top of her head.

"For what?" he asked in surprise.

"For… everything," she said in the end for lack of better words. "I just love you and I am so happy to have you."

"Then maybe it's time you finally accept it and believe it yourself," he suggested and she just had to turn to him in her swirling chair. "Because you keep acting as though you were just about to lose me and I already promised I am here to stay. I know I have a daughter on another earth, but we can manage. We can make all of this work, Snow."

"Just a hiccup, right?" She picked a lighter tone there and even managed to smile. "Wait…" she then gasped, wondering… "I think I know a person who can actually help us figure it all out. Harry, it's clear to me now that we're out of options."

"Is it anyone I know?" he asked when straightening up and folding his arms on his chest.

"No… actually…" she hesitated before finally getting it out. "How do you feel about meeting my mother?"

* * *

Once Caitlin pushed the door to the building open, Harry felt even more stupid when wearing a ball cap in such a respectable place. In fact, he felt like a creep breaking into a renown lab despite it being the middle of the day.

"Oh, would you just relax already? No one has recognized you so far," Caitlin said quietly to him, not sure whether she felt like laughing at his behavior or screaming because she was about to see her mother after actually years of being apart. Added to that, she still wasn't sure how Carla Tannhauser would react to her daughter dating and actually being in _love_ with a version of Harrison Wells, the doppelganger of the man her mother had once called a quack.

"It's not that… I have actually walked into a scientific lab wearing a ball cap. It's… just wrong on so many levels, Snow," he complained. "Besides, I can't even look at anyone… Oh, yeah, just great… and now I'm the creepy dude hiding behind you…" he murmured under his breath when Caitlin made her way to the receptionist's desk, successfully obscuring Harrison from the woman's view.

"Hi, I'm here to see dr. Tannhauser," she said.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Um… no, but could you just please tell her that Caitlin Snow is here? I'm sure she'd like to see me."

"I'm sorry, but dr. Tannhauser is a very busy…"

"It's ok. Caitlin is always welcomed here," suddenly, they heard a voice coming from a level above them and they saw Carla standing there. "Even when unannounced," she added, the tone of her voice betraying her true emotions. And Harrison so did not like that. He knew he was a grown man and an older one to that, but somehow the upcoming meeting with the mother of the woman he loved did not seat well with him. In fact, he felt sick for the first time since he could remember. Nice pickle Snow had gotten him into…

* * *

He kept in the back once the three of them found themselves locked in dr. Tannhauser's office, the ball cap still in place and he could tell Caitlin's mother thought it to be disrespectful as well. It wasn't until Snow actually introduced him that he was able to remove the offensive accessory.

"Mom, this is…" Cait started, but the cap was already gone and Carla's eyes widened in shock.

"You gotta be kidding me, Caity!" she interrupted in a stunned voice. "He's..."

"From another earth," Snow quickly cut in, desperate to get the explanations out of the way so they could move to the matter because of which they came here today, "so you can relax. It's…" she hesitated while Harrison met Carla's eyes bravely, his stare fixed on the older woman. She soon realized he was actually judging Carla and that did not sit well with her. Not because her mother didn't deserve it, but because as any child, Caitlin sought her approval no matter how difficult their mother-daughter relationship was. Something told her, though, that she wouldn't get it so easily, if ever. "It's hard to explain…"

"No," dr. Tannhauser disagreed to her daughter's astonishment. "It isn't. Do you really think I am not aware of the existence of the multiverse? All the breaches that could be found no so long ago all over the city you decided to run off to were only a testament to that. I bet you came through one of those, didn't you?" she then turned to Harrison.

"That would be correct," he finally spoke and reached his hand to her. "Dr. Harrison Wells of Earth Two."

Carla shook it briefly before asking, "So? Why are you here, dr. Wells? Wait! Don't tell me! Are you in a need of a consult?"

"Um… not exactly, no," he denied quite awkwardly.

"He's with me," Caitlin tried to explain, but her mother was only making it more difficult for her.

"Yes?" she prompted, clearly taking that literal and not in the way her daughter meant it.

Caitlin sighed before finally getting it out, "I mean _with_ me, mother. He's…" her voice trailed off as she was desperately searching for the right word because _boyfriend_ somehow didn't give it justice. Carla, though, seemed to have already guessed what Caitlin meant, because she actually paled. And then her daughter finally said, "My life partner."

Harry's eyebrows rode up high on his forehead as he heard that and he immediately looked at Caitlin. _Seriously?_ He thought. _Life partner?!_

In the end, he decided to just ignore it and proceed to more urgent matters such as… "We need your help," he simply said in his usual brusque voice before he realized that would only make this entire situation worse.

"Ok," Carla suddenly sighed when falling into her chair as though she couldn't possibly remain upright any longer. "I feel like _this_ is enough for one day. Don't tell me this Harrison Wells can't come up with a scientific solution to his problem and he needs to use you, his _apparent girlfriend_ ," she made sure to emphasize those words, making it sound as though they were terribly mismatched, "to run to mommy for help. Or maybe you're not a genius on your earth at all?" she provoked him.

Caitlin only closed her eyes, already feeling herself getting angry with her mother and doing her best to keep her powers at bay because she could feel them wanting to manifest, to just come out, to strike. And that would be a disaster. She suddenly started regretting this trip. She shouldn't have come here in the first place. She should have known better than to seek help from Carla.

Needless to say, Harry felt insulted and his pride couldn't take this blow.

"Oh, please, do not compare me to that evil maniac from the future nor offend my intelligence," he immediately answered dr. Tannhauser back. "I am the smartest mind alive and the matter we need help with is actually regarding your daughter. And unlike _you_ ," he kept on going and Caitlin just placed a hand over her face, already having a very, _very_ bad feeling about this. Why had she brought him with her anyway? "I am doing everything that is in my power to help her. I am actually _there_ for her!"

"Oh, so this is regarding Caitlin? Please, do not eve _dare_ asking me for her hand in marriage, because I swear to God…" Carla stood up just then and in that moment Caitlin couldn't take it anymore. She was beyond angry with her mother and disappointed in that woman. On top of that, she felt so terribly sorry for Harry that he had to hear that he would never be good enough for her. And who was Carla Tannhauser to actually decide that if she pretended Caitlin didn't even exist?!

"MOM!" she suddenly screamed, rendering them both speechless when she hit the desk with her hands, the ice flowing from her skin freezing everything there. "This is _why_!" Caitlin still said even though there seemed to be no need for that anymore.

* * *

Carla was performing the final tests, now taking a few samples of Caitlin's blood to study whereas Harrison was still going over the numbers on the computer. He couldn't believe that Snow had actually managed to turn into ice what possessed the heat of a molten lava, stunned as his eyes traced over the readings on the screen and therefore quite oblivious to the little talk the mother and daughter seemed to be having.

Caitlin was glad her mother finally opened up a little, admitting she had, indeed, changed after her husband's and Caitlin's father's death. Only then she came right back to being her usual self when stating that Caitlin couldn't possibly understand that.

"Actually, I do," her daughter denied. "My husband died over a year ago."

Carla seemed surprised by that revelation and in the end she just felt sad, because she had no idea that her only daughter had actually gotten married. She glanced uneasily at Harrison in the other corner of the room.

"So his doppelganger…" she started just then.

"Oh, mom, please, give me some credit here," Caitlin bristled. "I can't even imagine being in love with the first dr. Wells and then falling for a man who looks exactly the same."

"I can," her mother disagreed. "It's called grief and denial."

Caitlin still shook her head. "No. His name was Ronnie. We were working together, yes, but he was nothing like dr. Wells. Harry here…" a sudden smile lightened up Snow's face and she didn't even realize it. Her mother did see it, though, seeming to be in awe as she spotted all the emotions playing on her daughter's features when she watched the man she claimed to love. "Harry is _everything_ to me and I can see the judgment on your face and the disapproval in your eyes, but that still doesn't change the fact that it's _my_ life and _my_ choices. I love him, mom. And he's wonderful to me. That's truly all you need to know."

In the end, Carla only nodded after releasing a sigh.

"How old is he anyway?" she eventually asked, having finished with the samples. "Don't tell me he's older than I am."

"The important part is that he makes me happy, mom. That despite all that is going on in my life right now, he's still here. He believes in me."

* * *

Once Caitlin and Harry came back from visiting her mother, they were both exhausted and resigned. Carla did promise to look for a cure and conduct more tests on the blood samples she'd taken, but she also seemed to agree that there might be no stopping those powers.

That was how Cisco found them on his way out of the Labs.

"Guys, you won't believe the day we've just had! There was this huge monster…" the younger man started explaining, oblivious to the lack of focus on his friends' faces. "… and then in the end it turned out to be an actual hologram! Can you believe this?! And yeah, Julian, that guy Barry hates so much… he totally almost shot a kid! And… HR is actually a crook…"

"Ha!" Harrison suddenly exclaimed when pointing his finger at Cisco. "I knew it!" He seemed to be very pleased with himself.

"What do you mean he's a crook? Who is he, then?" Caitlin got interested as well, for a moment forgetting about her own problems.

So Cisco explained to them who HR truly was and that he was actually hiding on their earth after being exposed on his own for running the Labs but only in theory when being the face and the inspiration behind it. When he finished, Harry was just shaking his head, his arms folded over his chest.

"I knew _I_ was the genius," he still said and both Caitlin and Cisco just rolled their eyes.

"Oh, so how did meeting the mommy go?" Cisco asked then in curiosity. "Oh, _that_ bad, hah?" he made sure when seeing the look on Harry's face. "She didn't accept you or something?"

"Cisco, seriously, just stop," Caitlin shut him down, her expression morose and tired again. "See you tomorrow."

Both she and Harrison walked away and Cisco frowned at their behavior, looking after them. He just couldn't quite understand what was wrong with those two recently. He could only hope it wasn't the trouble in paradise he himself had teased them about.

* * *

Harry was just grabbing the rest of his stuff that he'd left behind in his old room in the Labs. Next, he went to search for Snow so they could head home that was her apartment now. He finally spotted her by a computer in the speed lab, probably choosing this place because no one was bound to walk in on her. It didn't take much for him to deduce she was listening to a message her mother had left her and it wasn't good.

In the end, he almost jumped when he heard Carla's voice saying that Caitlin must not use her powers under any circumstances, because once she did, there would truly be no coming back; and Cait hit the desk with her hands, freezing it along with the hardware, the screen flickering before it died.

Harrison watched in horror as she looked down at her hands in shock. She managed to scare her own self with her actions.

He was just about to walk into the room and take her into his arms, to whisper the words she so desperately needed to hear from him right now, to tell her that she, that _they_ would be all right, but his phone vibrating in his pocket prevented him from it.

He reached for the cellular device, frowning when he realized he received a message from dr. Tannhauser herself. It said: _Take care of my daughter for me. If you truly love her – you will not let her use those powers._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I am having so much fun writing this story recently! And placing all the clues there! Did you notice Harry saying "the smartest mind alive"?


	14. Chapter 14

The next few days were very hard on Caitlin and Harrison. No one said it, but they were both thinking it – the situation was getting dire at best. Caitlin couldn't use her powers, therefore it took all of her focus and effort to keep them at bay. Needless to say, they hadn't recently got any quality time together, at least not in the way they would like to, both spending all their days in Snow's lab, trying to come up with a solution, her biological and him mechanical. In fact, Harry started working on his version of a power dampener that would make it easier for her to function before he would contribute to actually finding a cure. In the end, he needed Cisco's help with obtaining some materials that were hard to come by on Earth One and had to share his idea. Ramon seemed eager to help and retreated immediately, saying he already had a prototype of a special metahuman cuffs that he intended to make in order to keep them in check. Harrison didn't exactly want _cuffs_ on the woman he loved, but for now they would have to do before he would build her something better, something that was less obvious to the eye. He just desperately wanted to take at least some of the strain off of her. She couldn't constantly pay attention to her focus, spending every wake hour making sure she wouldn't lose it and accidentally ice something or _someone_.

Just then, when Caitlin made a brief appearance in the cortex, finding only Cisco there, she heard him ask, "Are you and Harry all right?"

She came to a sudden stop, looking at him in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"You seem to spend all your time together and away from us, which would be cool if only you were actually smiling," Cisco explained, "so something tells me that whatever you're doing, it's not snuggling and making up for the lost time."

"Cisco…" Caitlin sighed, settling for saying his name, because truly, she had no idea what to tell him.

"I just don't understand why you're being so sad. Did he hurt you?" the guy started guessing and her eyes opened widely.

"No, of course not," she denied immediately when shaking her head. "Harry didn't do anything. In fact, he's been nothing but wonderful," Cait assured her friend.

"Ok," Cisco acknowledged with a nod. "Then please, just help me understand what's going on here. You've been acting weird ever since you two visited your mother. Maybe even before that…" he thought about it for a moment, "but it definitely got worse since then. What did she say? Does she hate him _that_ much?" he kept on prompting.

Caitlin closed her eyes briefly and then took a deep and shaky breath, trying to steady herself. Maybe Harry was right, maybe she couldn't keep putting off telling the team any longer, but the thing was that she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready because she had no good news for them. She really wanted to tell Cisco that she had powers, but was already working on that problem. Yet, she had no solution at hand. At least not one that would be permanent, because frankly, she couldn't imagine herself wearing designer power dampening cuffs all the time…

"Cisco… I… Um…" In the end, she just couldn't say it. "I'm sorry. This is not a good time," she eventually went with and left the cortex, leaving him completely stupefied and wondering what the hell was wrong.

* * *

To say that Harrison was pissed was an understatement. His steps fastened up when he left Cisco's lab and directed himself straight to Caitlin's. That little Ramon, he thought, still huffing because apparently, his younger friend had managed to finish the power dampening cuffs faster than Wells. And Wells was a fucking genius, so why he was suddenly the second? Well, the reason to it wasn't even his lack of skills – which he possessed and a _lot_ – it was the damn materials on Earth One. On Earth Two he would go about making the cuffs in a different way… Oh, wait, he thought about it for a moment, in his mind actually seeing a beautiful necklace on Snow's neck rather than a pair of hoops on her hands, rendering her a criminal. Which she was _not_. _Obviously_.

In the end, yet, it wasn't as though he had a choice in the matter, so he just walked inside her lab, securing the door behind him and then covering the distance separating him from the desk she was sitting by and dropping the cuffs on it.

She raised her surprised face to meet his eyes.

"What is this?" she asked.

"These are power dampening cuffs," he explained when folding his arms over his chest. "And before you say anything," he added right away, "I did steal them from Cisco and I am still working on my own idea that is so much more _perfect._ Still, I think you'd rather go with a temporal solution than wait for me to complete my project."

Caitlin looked at the cuffs and then back at Harry again before she finally picked them up and secured around her wrists, for the first time in weeks actually breathing out in relief.

"I'm sorry, but this would have to do for now," he added with a sigh, still not liking the sight of her handcuffed like some criminal.

"So I take it Cisco doesn't know?" she asked when standing up and walking out from behind her desk to face Harry.

"No. And let it stay that way. Until you're ready to tell the team."

To his surprise, she actually leaned forward into him until he put his arms around her and hugged her tight.

"Well, thank you. I really appreciate this."

"Me stealing?" he chuckled.

"I'm sure you had some fun in that, too," she teased him for the first time in days and he welcomed it with a smile, discovering how much he actually missed this.

"I wish I could get somewhere in my own research, but all I do is hit a wall," she finally admitted when moving away and turning around. She walked to her whiteboard that was covered with various chemical compounds Harrison couldn't even recognize.

"Hey, maybe you should take a break," he suggested, seeing how worked up she still seemed to be.

In the end, he just came over to her and put his arms around her from behind, pressing his face into the crook of her neck, kissing the skin there.

He meant for it to be just a hug, he really did, but being this close to her got the better of him and before he knew it, he was actually inhaling her scent deeply into his nose, his pelvis pressing against her backside as his hands strayed from her stomach up to cover her breasts.

To his relief, she relaxed against him, placing her own hands over his and grazing herself against his body, giving him an erection. And then she moaned. And he couldn't possibly stand this situation without getting further with her, without getting _closer_ to her.

"Are you sure?" he still asked, through breathlessly as she kept on grazing against him and his hands already dived under her white lab coat and then her blouse.

"You're just about the only thing I'm sure of, so yes," she answered, turning her head so she could reach his face and kiss him. Eventually, she managed, though sloppily. They both seemed to enjoy this position and didn't want to change it.

He reached to his belt and undid it, then the same happened to his fly until he freed his length. Caitlin braced her hands against the desk when he pulled up her skirt, moving his finger along her core, discovering with great satisfaction that she was just as ready for him as he was for her and then without much further ado, he plunged himself deeply inside of her, retreating before he drove back in again.

"Oh, yes…" she moaned, her hands tightening on the edge of the desk. "Just like that…" she encouraged him and as he started to fuck her, turned on as much as she was by this new position. Soon enough, she stopped forming coherent sentences and could only call his name in between her whimpers.

He was actually glad their labs were so far away from the cortex as they didn't have to keep quiet.

* * *

Caitlin should have known better than to just accept the cuffs from Harry and think nothing of it.

She should have known that Cisco was crazy on alert when it came to his things or worse even – to actually _losing_ them.

She was just a witness to him telling HR off for taking the cuffs and felt terribly guilty that it was actually another version of Wells that had done it. A version Cisco _trusted_ and didn't even _suspect_.

In the end, she decided that maybe this whole situation was just the push she was in the need of, so she finally worked up her courage to go see her friend in his lab.

"Cisco, HR didn't steal your cuffs," she simply informed.

"Oh, really? How do you know?" He was still oblivious to what she was about to tell him.

Caitlin sighed before reaching to her wrists and taking the cuffs off from under her lab coat.

"Harry was the one who stole them, but please, don't be mad at him," she explained just then to her wide-eyed friend. "He was only trying to help me."

"I'm confused," Cisco eventually admitted with a frown. "No!" he then followed immediately, horrified as he stood up and put his hands in front of him as though he was trying to shield himself. "Don't even tell me!" he yelled when placing his hands on his head for a change. "I so do not want _that_ image in my head! So _you_ , guys, _are_ at cuffs stage?!" he still asked.

"What?" Now it was Caitlin's turn to be surprised. "No! Harry doesn't need the cuffs to make me…" she just now realized what she almost said and blushed immediately. "Well…" she then started again, feeling embarrassed.

Cisco only groaned and hid his face in his hands.

"You guys are worse than Barry and Iris and that says something! And here I thought you were actually having trouble!"

"No! Cisco! I need them!" Caitlin finally exclaimed, not knowing how else to shut him down. "I need those cuffs."

"But why would you?" He frowned again when dropping his hands from his face. "You're not met…" his voice died half-way through his throat when she grabbed his glass and turned the water that was inside into ice. "Holy…" He made a step backwards, his mouth hanging open. "So _that_ is why you went to see your mother!" He quickly connected the dots. "It wasn't so she could meet Harry! It was so she could _help_ you!"

"Come on, like I ever needed her approval," Caitlin said sarcastically. "The woman didn't even know I was married to Ronnie."

"But… But… That is also why you and Harry have been both so down recently…"

"Yes and I think I need you to vibe me into the future," Caitlin finally voiced her wish.

"Why?"

"I need to see if I'm gonna become… _her_ ," she said slowly, already scared of this possible outcome. Because what would happen to Harry then? The last thing Caitlin wanted for him right now was to lose another woman he loved. He didn't deserve such a fate and she so desperately wanted to stop it from happening. She didn't want to become the cold and soulless woman she'd once met. She didn't want to become Killer Frost.

"You're not gonna become her," Cisco assured her immediately.

"I think I might," she voiced her worst fear and it was something that she hadn't even dared tell Harry.

"All right," Cisco finally agreed with a nod of his head, "give me your hand…"

* * *

"Harry, just stop this, ok?!" Caitlin eventually erupted, for the first time actually so angry with him that she wished to leave the corridor they were just walking down together and be alone for a few moments. Because he refused to let it go. He was pissed she'd taken off the cuffs to show Cisco her powers and claimed she shouldn't use them under any circumstances just like her mother had advised, that her little show might've seemed insignificant, but they had no way of knowing what it would do to her in the long run.

The problem was that she already knew. Because Cisco had seen it.

He'd vibed her and told her she would be fine, but there was just something in both his face and voice that didn't let her fully believe it. She knew him all too well and eventually, when she tagged along to a movie night with him, he fessed up about what he'd truly seen.

And it froze her to the bones, because her worst nightmares were just coming true and all she could be thinking about was Harry. The very same man she was so sick of right now since he was driving her crazy with his concern.

"You shouldn't have taken them off is all I'm saying!"

"Or rather screaming at me!" she yelled right back and he sighed, bringing a hand to his face to rub forehead while releasing a heavy sigh.

"Snow…"

"And you're pissed because you can't get out in public much," she added.

"That's…" He grew flustered. "That's so _not_ what this is about! Caitlin, you just cannot take these off! It's _that_ simple! Besides…"

"Harry…"

"No, Snow," he cut in again, his voice unyielding. "You know what? I am done with those secrets! You have to tell our friends the truth! All they can do is to actually _help_!"

"Oh, guys, please!" Cisco came out of nowhere, massaging his temples. "Please, just stop this! You're giving me a headache! And yes, Harry is totally right if you ask me," he then turned to Caitlin. "You should tell the rest. They deserve to know."

"Thank you!" Harry turned to him.

"Harry," Caitlin chose this moment to come clean about something else as well, already bracing herself. "I asked Cisco to vibe me."

There was sudden silence and she could tell he was wondering whether he should even ask, already scared of what the answer might be.

"What did you see?" He eventually turned to Cisco, his voice coming back to normal, still conveying concern, though and Snow actually felt guilty. Because she knew that all the things he just told her, he said out of worry and fear for her. In fact, ever since he'd returned to this earth he'd gotten nothing but more things to trouble him and that was most definitely not fair.

"Killer Frost," was all Cisco could answer, choosing the shortest and painless way possible.

In the end, it wasn't, really as there was no easy way to say this.

Harry fought his expression well, Snow could tell, but she also knew him too well already, so she noticed that the news crashed him all the same. What more, Cisco seemed to pick up on it, too.

"Listen… both of you… when it comes to the impossible, we're the experts, ok? So we're just gonna have to come up with a solution. We can totally work this out. As long as we're honest with each other and that means telling the _whole_ team, Caitlin," Cisco turned to the woman in question. "We can change things. I saw Earth Two being ripped to shreds and that didn't happen, so there's always hope."

Harrison just nodded, not able to say another word. Instead, he made his way to Caitlin and put his arm around her as they started off in the direction of the cortex.

It was time, they all knew it. The truth had to come out.

* * *

Harrison expected everything from the conversation they were going to have with the team, but not _this_.

Well, technically _that_ came right _after_.

He wasn't even over his sudden anger at Snow _again_ showing her powers to the rest of the team by actually _using_ them, damn it! Hadn't she listened to him and her mother at all?!

And next thing she did was to say she was going to have to leave soon.

And what the hell was _that_ supposed to mean?! Damn it!

In the end, she left the cortex and HR offered to go talk to her, to which Harry reacted by sending him a look that could kill and Barry stopped the man, following Caitlin himself.

Like hell was he gonna let Allen screw up even more! Harry thought when catching up with him and entering the lab in which Caitlin was hiding now.

"So…" Caitlin was just asking to make sure, "none of this happened before?"

"That's just fantastic… _NOT!_ " Harrison erupted right then, done giving Allen the free pass. "You said nothing was _really_ changed and now you're actually telling us that all of _this mess,_ Caitlin having powers, dr. Alchemy's metas, Joe West's son going through _hell_ and Cisco's brother being _dead_ – that's all… that's all…" Harry actually gasped, placing his hands on his hips and looking aside, not knowing how to even respond. "You were out of your fucking mind, were you?!" he then hollered when getting to the younger man.

"Harry, please, stop," Caitlin immediately got in between them, separating them.

" _Snow_ ," Harry just said, for the first time actually facing her while not hiding his true emotions about this whole situation. And the devastated and helpless look she saw in his blue pupils rid her of any anger she might be feeling. She just felt sorry for him instead. In fact, he heart broke at the sight. They deserved to be happy, she thought, suddenly feeling herself getting angry with Barry, too. Harry was supposed to be back from Earth Two and they were supposed to start their lives together. They were to move on together, not get stuck in another helpless situation with no way out.

"How could you do this to me, Barry?" the words were out of her mouth before she managed to stop them, but maybe in the end she didn't really want to. Maybe this needed to be said. "Do you have any idea what would've happened if Harry hadn't come back to his earth?" She turned to her friend now, her eyes full of tears and she could see in Barry's that he was so, so sorry and felt so terribly guilty for messing up. Well, she'd known that from the beginning, but now she was more aware of everything he changed. More than ever, actually. Now she knew the whole truth and she hated it.

"Cait… I…" he started and stopped, releasing a heavy sigh and running a hand over his mouth. "I wish I'd known how badly I could screw up…"

"But you did know," Harrison pointed out just then and both Barry and Cait looked at him in surprise. "What? Don't tell me you weren't aware of at least some of the things you'd change. You had to know that whatever you'd do, by saving your mother and dealing with Thawne you wouldn't have any powers or any association with S.T.A.R. Labs to begin with. Ramon, Snow… they were all recruited by _him_ , not by the real Wells. Thawne wouldn't need to get back home, therefore you wouldn't cause a singularity and I would never come here. Maybe Jesse would die," Harry continued relentlessly whereas Barry looked worse and worse as all of that sunk in and Cait's heart felt like it was going to shatter. She couldn't even stand the thought of that changed timeline, because then she wouldn't be with Harry and she couldn't imagine not having him in her life. "Snow and I would never meet. Cisco's brother would never die in a car accident. Do you need me to go on?"

"No, no, I really don't," Barry admitted quietly, avoiding his friends' eyes. "I know I made a grave mistake, but I have to live with it now because there's no undoing it."

"Of course there isn't," Harry snorted. "You can never put things quite the same way they used to be, Allen."

Barry nodded, not knowing what to say next.

"Ok, we all make mistakes…" Caitlin finally said in a broken voice and just the sound of it caused Barry to feel even worse, if that was possible. Because she was still the good old Caitlin. She forgave. She was kind and warm and he'd caused her so much pain and suffering already. Ronnie had died because he'd tried to help him. He'd almost undone her whole relationship with Harry and now he'd got her powers. They were lucky that Harry decided to come back to Earth Two briefly, so at least their story didn't change.

In that moment, the door opened and Iris peeked inside.

"I'm so sorry, guys, but we got a problem. It's Wally."

Barry only nodded, shooting one last apologetic look in Cait's and Harry's directions and then he left.

Once only the two of them remained in the room, Caitlin burst out crying.

"Hey… Snow, it's ok," Harry immediately got to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "It's gonna be all right. We'll figure this out."

"Yeah, now tell me you actually believe that yourself," she challenged him and he only sighed when sweeping her into his arms.

Being this close to him did make her feel better, so she gave in, allowing his overwhelming presence and warmth to envelop her.

"I will never give up on you," he promised her, whispering those words straight into her ear. "You're the best person I know and I am not giving up until we deal with this. We're together till the end, Snow. No matter what happens, I'm always going to be here."

She could only nod, too overcome with emotions, her hands clenching over his arms as she clung to him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve become pretty active on instagram lately, so follow me – @trinittyrosse

Caitlin was quickly ripped from Harrison's arms and thrown right in the middle of action.

Wally was supposed to play bait for dr. Alchemy, but everything went awry and Barry suddenly found himself attacked by an unknown entity, actually appearing and disappearing all over the city to a point in which they all thought his comms were out of whack. It took HR and his strange mind to give them an idea that something might've been doing that when holding on to Barry. Eventually, the figure stopped.

Only now Barry was more in danger than ever and in a clear need of back-up, so after Iris begged Cisco and Caitlin for help, the first opened a breach and the second jumped through, ready to use her powers to Harry's fury.

He did scream at her to stop and he even tried to reach for her, but his hand just grasped the air as the breach closed and both his friend and the woman he loved were gone.

"Fuck!" he cursed when running his hand through his messy hair and getting to a now vacant computer.

He watched in horrification the cold signature on the satellite that indicated his girlfriend and immediately hissed, seeing how much of her powers she actually had to use in order to help.

Soon after, the attacker ran away and Cisco breached Barry and Caitlin back to the Labs, actually passing out as he did so.

* * *

When he opened his eyes and registered that he was, indeed, alive and lying in a lab bed, suffering from a splitting headache; it only got worse as he heard his two friends arguing.

"What was I supposed to do?!" Caitlin was just screaming at – Cisco could bet – Harry. "Let him die?!"

"Well, he certainly didn't care when running back and time and screwing with our lives!" Harry yelled right back, overcame with fury. Though Cisco knew better. This wasn't just his usual anger. This was anger caused by terrible fear that he was going to lose Caitlin, that she was heading down a road no one could pull her back from and frankly, Cisco understood. He also knew, just like both Cait and Harry must, that there was no other choice to be made. Barry could've died.

" _Our_ lives?!" Caitlin screamed back just then and Cisco pressed his hand to his forehead, hissing as the thumping in his skull refused to cease.

" _I am_ the one who's suffering here, Harry! _I am_ the one who's turning evil!"

"Excuse me!" Cisco finally managed to interrupt and his own raised voice only agitated him more. He pulled himself up to a sitting position, registering both Iris and Barry in the cortex, probably hiding and waiting out the lover's quarrel and then, there were Caitlin and Harry standing right next to his bed. "My head's killing me! Would you keep it down?!"

Caitlin and Harry both looked at Cisco in the same time, surprised to see him awake. Or maybe they didn't remember that he was even there. Brilliant, he thought.

"You've had a mini stroke. It's gonna be fine," Caitlin dismissed his fears and was just about to look back at Harry when Cisco suddenly erupted, "A _mini stroke_?! What does it even mean?! Am I going to have this headache for the rest of my life?! Can I even use my powers now?!"

"Cisco, relax," she immediately followed with, "it just means you need some rest and a few aspirins and you'll be fine."

"Oh… Next time just lead with that!" He was about to fall into his pillow again, but he did notice Harry already opening his mouth and he pointed his finger at the man, "No! Don't do that here! In fact, don't do it anywhere! We had no choice, Harry! Live with that! God, who would think that the two of you would be so much worse together than apart!"

"Oh, you…" Harry started towards Cisco, directing his anger at the younger man whereas Cait grabbed his arm.

"Harry, don't. He really needs a break. And quite frankly, so do I," she said and then she was letting him go and leaving the med bay.

"What…?" Harry seemed flabbergasted. "Snow… wait… ah!" It was too late. She was already gone.

And no one noticed her icy stare.

* * *

Whatever Harry needed to say to Caitlin, however to apologize or maybe make her understand how much he was actually worried, it all had to wait as they faced another crisis with Wally. And one that they couldn't seem to get out of. In the end, when Harry decided enough time passed and Caitlin headed to her lab anyway to continue her testing on the cocoon, he followed her, ready to talk, ready to remain calm and have a normal conversation, but… surprisingly, she wasn't there.

Confused, he came back to the cortex, thinking maybe they missed one another, choosing different routes, but nope, no Snow in there either.

And then Joe came running, asking for Wally. Apparently, Caitlin came over to the precinct with the information that Wally was out of the cocoon and all right. Which was a lie. And one that was so unlike the woman Harrison loved. In fact, it froze him to the bones, a bitter taste appearing in his mouth and a tie in his stomach. Was this it? He thought, for a moment just frozen and not able to move. Was this it? Was he going to lose another woman he loved more than anything? Was he just not meant to be happy in the end? Was his life just going to be a streak of suffering with brief moments of respite before the black hole would suck him in again?

He vaguely registered HR asking how they'd traced Captain Cold once and suggesting they could maybe use that to track Snow now. And of course Harry knew that. He was just unable to move or speak or even think.

Then, there was a hand on his arm and he turned to see Cisco standing next to him.

"She's gonna be all right. We won't give up on her," he assured his older friend and Harry could only nod, swallowing over the bile forming in his throat.

He finally noticed the camera feed on the computer screen and Caitlin – or maybe already Killer Frost? – there with some blond guy she must've held hostage.

"I'm coming with," Harrison finally managed to find his voice when Barry offered to go.

"No, stay," Allen argued. "This is too dangerous. I'll try and get through to her first." And he was just gone, not even leaving Harry a choice in the matter. The man could only watch the camera feed now, glad that Cisco managed to tweak the sound.

Only a few minutes later he truly wished he hadn't heard all of that. Because Caitlin was hurting. She desperately wanted her powers gone. She just wanted a normal life. A life by his side and one free of worries.

And now she couldn't have it.

"Cait, let me help you," Barry tried one last time. He didn't want to subdue her, already having knocked the hostage out and Harry couldn't be more grateful for that. Then again, it was the least Allen could do.

"Like you helped you mother?" Caitlin just asked. "Or Eddie? Or Ronnie? You keep messing with everyone's lives and we are left behind to pick up the pieces from your mistakes! Some things you break, you can't put back together! Oh, and did you tell Cisco the whole truth?"

Harrison hissed, risking a glance in his friend's direction. He might usually be mean to Ramon, but everyone knew that in fact he had a soft spot for the man and was so sorry for what he was about to hear.

"Dante was _alive_ before Barry crated flashpoint!" Caitlin screamed and Harry didn't have to strength to look at Cisco again. He didn't want to see his face now, just focusing on Snow and the painful expression of Allen's. "His death is Barry's fault!"

And then everything went to hell in a handbasket.

* * *

Harry was nervously pacing back and forth, not able to contain himself and truly at the verge of breaking. With Barry and Cisco gone to get Cait and both HR with Joe disappearing to somewhere, Iris was the only person left there and she tried comforting him, even though she had no idea of how to even approach him. Because he was usually brilliant in hiding his own emotions and keeping them in check, the exception the time when Jesse been missing, but the crucial difference was that Caitlin had been there _then_ to help him. That was how the two of them fell in love and it was truly breaking Iris's heart now to see this couple who had so much potential, who seemed to be made for each other despite them coming from two different worlds; losing it all.

And then she actually came up with an idea. Because this was just _it_.

"Harry, she'll be fine, I'm sure of it," she tried talking to him slowly, apprehensively, scared that he might erupt again and start screaming at her, the intensity coming off of him in waves, his coiled energy palpable even on the other side of the room. "You and Cait have been to hell and back. You come from two completely different universes and yet, fate brought you two together."

"Fate," he actually snorted when coming to a sudden stop and facing her. "Yeah, sure. And if I hadn't left to my earth to take care of my business _there_ , _here_ your boyfriend would've screwed even _this_ up! Now, tell me how much of a fate there actually is in here."

"Harry, I hear you, I do," Iris responded, now actually feeling agitated as well. "But Barry was hurting. You can't really blame him for wanting the pain gone…"

"Are you familiar with the phrase that with great power comes great responsibility? We all lose someone, West, the real test of character is what you do once they're gone!" Harry raised his voice, recalling that he'd once told the very same thing to Caitlin. It was right after they met, actually, and he almost winced as he also remembered how mean he'd been to her then. In fact, he kept that attitude on until she just refused to quit and successfully broke every single one of his walls. She never gave up on him and he had to fight for her _now_.

The comfort Iris wanted to give him suddenly turning into an unpleasant conversation was luckily interrupted by her exclamation as she spotted Caitlin and Cisco on the street cameras.

"Got her!"

Harrison was right there, anxiously watching the scene and wincing in pain while running a shaky hand over his mouth. Caitlin was fighting Cisco and then she hit Barry with her powers. The Flash was now down and Harry felt a sudden pang in his chest. He was worried that she might kill him. After everything Barry had done, he was still worried the woman he loved might actually kill the Flash. Only she didn't. Because Cisco used his powers, knocking her out.

* * *

Out of all the scenarios of their future that Harrison could've envisioned, this was never one of them. This… this was beyond everything he could ever think of, even beyond his worst nightmares. Once he'd met Killer Frost of his earth, he was shaken to the bones, but then felt so relieved that his Caitlin didn't have the metahuman gene. Well, now she did and she'd become her own enemy. The worst part was that he had no idea how to help her, because once she was placed in the pipeline and they all gathered there to talk to her, he could see it clearly – there was nothing of the Caitlin he loved left in those icy eyes. It was remarkable, truly as they changed color and just thanks to that, he could always tell the two apart. Not that that was necessary as Killer Frost was acting so differently, but the Caitlin he loved had hazel eyes whereas this… this monster had icy blue.

For a moment, he couldn't even speak, his breath coming out ragged as his chest was shakily raising and falling. In fact, the shaking in his body refused to stop and he didn't even remember how it was to act normally, to breathe without this terrible weight pressing onto his chest. He was a broken mess and he could only pray they would somehow manage to get through to her, because otherwise… He couldn't even think of it now. He had to be strong.

Caitlin was just now talking to Barry, having called Cisco pathetic for apologizing that he'd hurt her earlier before.

Just then, her stunning icy eyes locked with Harrison's and he felt prickling in his. He couldn't believe he felt like crying, but he held on to the last ounce of control and sanity he had left, because he would not break down in front of everyone. He. Would. Just. _Not_.

In the end, he managed to speak. He didn't know where this strength even came from, but he still said in a shaky voice, "Snow, _please_ , we love you. _I_ love you."

"Oh, really?" Killer Frost immediately snorted and he opened his eyes in surprise since he truly believed this could work somehow and if not all the way, then at least it would get him _there_. "If you truly loved me, Harrison, you wouldn't have left me," she continued, her words cutting like a knife, sinking straight into his already scarred heart. "I guess Jesse was more important to you. Kids will _always_ be more important and I just had to fucking fall in love with a widower with a freaking child in tow!"

He opened his mouth in shock, tears finally flooding his eyes and then he just couldn't take it anymore. He turned around and left, desperately needing some air, because the vise on his chest only grew tighter.

* * *

They thought it couldn't get worse, yet, exactly that happened when Joe and HR cut Wally out of the cocoon. At least that gave Harry some other emotion to feel than this overwhelming devastation, though to the rest of the team it really wasn't much better as he unloaded all of his rage onto HR, calling him an idiot and a moron and what the fuck he was even doing on the team if he wasn't actually _helping,_ but making things worse.

Eventually, when HR let him get it all out just because he knew his doppelganger was hurting, he said, "Actually, it was all Joe. I was just helping."

Soon enough and just like expected, Harry turned in his fury to Joe.

"Don't you even dare!" the man was faster when screaming that right back. "I thought I was gonna lose my son! It's terrifying!"

"Yeah, well, it's all his goddamn fault!" Harrison hollered anyway. "He was the one who got himself into this mess in the first place!"

"Guys, guys, stop!" Barry actually ran in between those two, hands reached out as he was trying to stop them from coming onto to each other, starting a fight. "We all know that right now we need a biochemist."

"Well, if you hadn't run back in time and created flashpoint, we wouldn't have needed one, because guess what?! Wally wouldn't have powers and Snow wouldn't as well!"

"STOP!" Cisco was the one to scream that when coming over. He immediately winced, clearly still not over his earlier headache. "We can't just keep fighting, ok? Right now the most important thing is to get Cait back. We can deal with the rest later."

"You need to bring her back," Barry said in a normal tone when turning to Harry just then.

To his astonishment, the older man nodded, his lips forming a thin line. "I know," he agreed for a change, his voice rasp and low, "but if this doesn't work…"

"It will," Barry told him in faith. "I am sure it will, Harry. Listen…" he then started when briefly touching his arm at which the man frowned, hating anyone other than Caitlin or Jesse putting their hands on him; so Barry let go and continued, "I am sorry for messing up. I really am. But I also can't undo the damage I have already done. I can only move forward and do the best I can now. And Harry… I truly believe you are the only one who can get through to her. She _loves_ you. That… that just doesn't go away, ok? You have to try and bring her back."

Harrison nodded, trying to hold himself together for just as long. The problem was that he wasn't sure he could actually do it. He might as well break down the moment he looked into that icy cold stare of hers again.

"What if she hurts him?" Iris asked when he simply turned around and started off in the direction of the pipeline.

"I'm willing to take that risk," he answered her on his way out, not even looking at the woman.

"He really does love her," she said. "God, I hope this works… I can't take it anymore! Those two…"

"I know," Barry agreed with a nod when coming over and taking his girlfriend into his arms. "I know."

* * *

Killer Frost looked up in curiosity when she only saw Harry standing on the other side of the glass wall.

"Are you here to give me another pep talk?" she asked when eying him.

"No," he answered. "I'm here to let you go." He then moved to the panel on the wall and soon enough, she was free.

He actually felt some kind of satisfaction when he noticed the confusion on her face as she was trying to assess what kind of a test or trap this was.

"Just like that?" she eventually asked when making her way out of the cage and standing right in front of him.

And God, he thought, he could feel the cold radiating off of her even in this proximity. Was her heart stone cold like that, too? Could she even feel anything anymore?

"Under one condition," he told her in a tired voice, looking into her icy stare with defeated eyes.

"Oh, yeah? And what's that?"

"You're gonna have to kill me, Caitlin."

"What?" There it was, he thought. For a moment he could swear he saw something shifting into those eyes as though his Caitlin was trying to struggle and break through. He just didn't know whether he would be able to reach her in time. Maybe all it took was _this_ or maybe Killer Frost would actually have to drive a icicle through his heart for Snow to wake up and snap out of it. Either way he discovered that he didn't care. He could only go on with her. If she wasn't going to be a part of his life anymore, he could as well die. Sadly, having Jesse and the Labs on his earth wasn't enough anymore. His daughter was a grown-up anyway. She didn't need him. In fact, no one needed him now besides Snow. And Snow was gone.

"Is this some kind of a joke?" Killer Frost eventually asked him.

"No," he said, his voice like steel. "You either get through by killing me or not at all. The choice is yours." There it was, he played all his cards. He even made a step closer to her when she created an icicle with her hand.

"What is he doing?" Iris asked in panic back in the cortex as the team was watching it all play on the screen.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it's gonna be ok. Cait would never hurt him," Cisco said.

"And if she tries, I'm there in no time to stop her," Barry assured them all, coming back to watching the couple on the screen.

Harry could see it clearly. Killer Frost was trying to play hard, but in fact she was breaking and just that gave him enough hope and strength to make one more step and feel the tip of the icicle pressing into his chest just where his heart was. All it took for her was to just push. And he truly hoped that if she actually did that, Barry wouldn't make it in time to save him because he couldn't possibly live without her in his life.

"Come on. What you're waiting for?" he provoked her, seeing the precious hesitation on her face clearly as she tightened her hold on the icicle. "Live up to your name, Killer Frost. This is what the bad guys do, isn't it? They kill what they love, so they wouldn't have to _feel_ anymore. But we both know it's not you. You're the most compassionate and caring person I know, Caitlin. You never gave up on me and I will never be able to tell you how much it actually meant to me. You _saved_ me. You gave me hope. You showed me the future and it's beautiful. But only with you in it." He was watching her face intently and finally, she raised her eyes to meet his. He couldn't take this tension any longer, the cold he felt where his heart was only intensifying because of the icicle. And then, tears flooded his eyes and her own pupils dilated.

Next thing he saw was the hazel returning to her irises as she dropped the icicle.

"Harry!" she called out his name and then her arms were around his neck and his own reached out to her to pull her close and lock in his embrace. She was warm again and he couldn't help but hold her tightly and release a few sobs with his face buried in her hair.

This was his Caitlin, his Snow. He finally had her back and he would be damned if he ever let her go again.

"I… I am so, so _sorry_ ," she whispered into his ear, her tears wetting the skin of his neck. Then she pulled away to look into his equally teary eyes and the expression on her face was killing him. "Harry, I… Oh, my God!" She was holding onto his forearms now, tightening her hands over them as she was looking him in the eye. "I'm sorry! I said some pretty awful stuff back there and… oh, God! I want you to know that it wasn't really me! I don't really think that! I didn't mean any of it!" She was shaking, so desperate for him to believe her. "Please, Harry, I don't want to lose you. I _can't._ "

" _Snow_ ," he finally spoke in a hoarse and low voice that was reserved just for her. He cupped her face, boring his eyes into hers. "Why do you think I'm still here?" he simply asked.

"I like Jesse. I really do and… I would never…"

"I know. It's ok. Really," he assured her before sweeping her back into his arms, because he so wasn't done holding her just yet. She only sobbed harder and kept on apologizing and he kept on telling her that it was all right and everything would be ok and that he got her.

"I wish I were stronger," she eventually whispered into his ear, still pressed tightly against him.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked when pulling away to look at her. "You're the strongest person I know and an incredible woman to that. We'll get through this. I promise you, we will."

"Harry, but… I'm just sorry for saying all those mean things to you when I was _her_. I understand that it took actually uprooting you from your earth, your _home_ and your own S.T.A.R. Labs that you built there in order to be here with me. I know it must've been very hard for you and…"

"No," he disagreed just then, shaking his head. "It was _easy,_ because I did it for _you_ , Snow. Don't you know it by now? _You_ are my home and my life and I'd do anything for the girls of my life. You and Jesse. That's all that matters and we both know she's a grown-up and she wants to be more independent now."

Finally, Caitlin smiled to him through her tears and it was truly the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"You were right," she then admitted when the smile faded away. "About my powers. I'm sorry for fighting you on this. You were right."

"Don't be." He reached to her face and wiped a few tears from it. "No matter the risk and no matter how angry it made me, I understand that you'd do anything for the people you love. And that, unfortunately," he kind of joked right then and he knew she picked up on that because she smiled again, "is the team, too."

"But I love _you_ the most," she assured him when reaching her hand to his face and brushing his cheek gently and lovingly, watching him close his eyes in pleasure.

"I love you, too," he assured her with a nod and then finally, he pressed his lips against hers and kissed her.

"Guys, I think I'm gonna cry! This is so sweet!" Cisco exclaimed back in the cortex.

HR actually did wipe a tear from his face before saying, "With you man! Totally a scene for my book! Off to write!"

And they all laughed when he disappeared.

* * *

They were both exhausted when they finally came back home that night. It didn't just take Snow to fight off the influence Killer Frost had had on her, she still had to find a way to help Wally and synthesizing the right concoction to help his body's chemistry had taken her two hours.

Now she sighed heavily when dropping her keys into the tray in the hall and then making her way to the bathroom. She desperately needed a shower and once she emerged from it, she found Harry sitting on the edge of their bed, waiting for her.

The moment she walked into the room, he raised his tired eyes to look at her and she saw nothing but love and hope and devotion there.

She made her way to him and stood in between his legs, pulling him forward until he rested his head against her stomach. She was wearing nothing but the towel draped around her body and the cuffs on her wrists.

"I hate that you have to wear this," he eventually spoke when running his fingers over the cold metal of the dampening cuffs.

"Anything to keep me from turning into her," she said, burying her hands in his messy hair, loving the softness of his brown locks.

He looked up at her again, the blue in his eyes so stunning that it always took her breath away.

"We will find a permanent solution, I promise you," he assured her. "We've already come so far…" he added and she leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers, kissing him.

His hands moved to the towel she was wearing, snatching it away and once she was standing in front of him completely naked, he pulled her into his laps, not breaking the kiss, running his hands over her back and them cupping her bottom.

She moaned into his mouth, loving everything about him; how he tasted, how he could make her feel and how he always kissed her like she was the sweetest nectar. She pulled on his sweater, finally breaking the kiss so she could get rid of it and then pressed herself against him, her breasts tantalizing his naked now chest. Her hands were already working on his pants and soon enough she had him hard and ready in her hand and she raised up briefly, lining him up until she sunk into him with a whimper. He responded with a throaty groan as her heat enveloped him and they started moving, holding onto to each other and still kissing.

"I love you," she whispered against his mouth and then bit on his lower lip before running a tongue over it to soothe the spot.

He responded with the same, though it came out a little distorted at her ministrations.

This was heaven to him and he prayed so it would last. So they would make her a cure and so they would have their happily ever after, because truly, there was nothing in the whole multiverse he craved more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See that, Flash writers? This is what you should have done!


	16. Chapter 16

 

"Oh, golly, it's like winter wonderland in here," Cisco commented when entering the cortex the day before Christmas.

"I'm glad you noticed!" HR chirped happily, adding one more garland to an already overdone room.

"Oh, good God!" Harry groaned as he stepped inside along with Caitlin, immediately bringing his hand to cover his eyes. "Are you kidding me with this?!" He turned to HR in horror. "I'm going to go blind from all these trinkets!"

"You're welcome! If anyone is in a desperate need of Christmas spirit, it's you, my friend!" HR responded, the smile still bright on his face. Truth be told, everyone in the team, except Harry, loved HR attitude towards his doppelganger and sometimes even agreed with him.

"You know, I don't want you to be grumpy during Christmas, honey," Caitlin said when getting closer to him and slipping her hand into his, then giving it a little squeeze. "I'm a little sick of us either being miserable or in danger…"

"Oh, you mean the amazing alien invasion that we just experienced?!" HR got excited again and Harry raised his eyebrows at that, wondering how many cups of coffee the man had already drunk this morning and whether he would simply drop dead from all this caffeine overdose. "I totally started a book about it! But you, guys," he turned back to them with a smile, placing his hands on his hips, "you guys were my muse! That moment in the pipeline was gold! And then the aliens happened and now I'm writing a sci-fi romance and…"

Harry groaned loudly before raising a hand to stop his annoying doppelganger. "Don't tell me," he said, "you wrote _yourself_ as me into it and in the end you win a girl who is just like my Snow."

"See? I knew we were alike, because we even think the same!"

"Just kill me now," Harry groaned again, making a few steps inside the cortex and then shooting Cisco a look because the younger man had the audacity to actually laugh at him.

"Stay right there!" he then heard Caitlin calling out to him cheerfully and before he knew it, she was getting to him, putting her arms around him and kissing him straight on the mouth in front of everybody. Not that he didn't like it. In fact, he liked this very, very much, but he could do without the audience since the last thing he wanted was giving HR more to write about.

"And what was that for?" he asked breathlessly when she ended the kiss, everyone in the room politely looking away.

"Just a tradition," she informed, pointing to the ceiling where Harry finally noticed mistletoe.

"I'll kill him," he said. "Snow, I'm serious! I can't spend Christmas around HR. It's too much!"

"Then let's not," she simply suggested. "Whatever makes you happy, Harry. I think that I'm ought to do something for you for a change, so tell me, how do you want to spend Christmas?"

He thought about it for a moment before actually pulling her to the adjacent to the cortex lab and suggesting, "Let's go to Earth Two."

Caitlin's eyes enlarged as she heard that.

"I know we'd be away from our friends, but Jesse actually sent me a message that she would love for us to come over. What do you say?"

"Actually, I love it," the honest answer came.

"Really?" Harry seemed surprised to hear that.

She nodded. "Sure. Maybe it's time to do something different for Christmas and you know, you _are_ right, sometimes HR _is_ too much."

"Thank you!" Harry exclaimed, then cupped her face and kissed her fiercely on the lips.

"Besides, I'd rather see you happy and with Jesse than you being this year's Grinch, "Snow joked just then and he pursed his lips.

"You just had to, didn't you?"

"Oh, yes, I did! I'd better go pack!"

* * *

Caitlin was relieved when she was finally able to take Harry's hand and step through the breach Cisco just made, because in the rate they'd been going so far, she was actually afraid they might not make it in time.

The day preceding Christmas wasn't light and fun at all. In fact, they quickly figured out that dr. Alchemy was actually Julian Albert, the exact same guy who worked with Barry and whom Barry hated. Also, he was the one hostage Caitlin had taken as being Killer Frost, so she'd rather not even show her face to him, being needed by Cisco's side anyway. She was nearly convinced she wouldn't be able to go with Harry to Earth Two, after all, therefore forsaking spending this time of the year with him, but luckily, Cisco assured her he would be ok and that she should. She was grateful he didn't seem to need her anymore as this was the first Christmas he would be spending without his brother.

Right now, Caitlin could finally took a deep and cleansing breath as she stepped over to the S.T.A.R. Labs on Earth Two. She was a little apprehensive of the trip as well, just because the only time she'd ever been there was when Zoom had kidnapped her.

"Hey, don't you worry." Harry gave her hand a little squeeze before releasing it as they emerged from the portal on the other side. "Zoom's not here anymore. He's gone. You're safe."

She nodded at him with a small smile on her face. "I know. Thanks, Harry."

Soon enough, she forgot all about her worries, because she began looking around, actually marveling at how beautiful this room was and she couldn't wait to see more.

"Dad! Caitlin! You've made it!" they suddenly heard Jesse calling out to them and she was right there, hugging her father whereas Caitlin was still taking her time looking around.

Eventually, when the girl released Harrison from her arms, she turned to Cait with a brilliant smile on her face. "I'm so excited for this Christmas, guys!" she called out when going over to the woman to hug her as well.

"Hi, Jesse, how are you?" Caitlin asked with an equally broad smile on her face.

"Perfect. How are you?" the girl wanted to know as well and there was something in her tone that told Caitlin that she _knew_. She looked at Harry immediately.

"What? You've already told everyone about your powers, so I figured it would be ok to let Jesse know as well. Besides, it's not like I had a choice. I needed her help with something."

Snow frowned at that. "With what?"

" _That_ , my dear Caitlin is a secret I will not divulge just yet. I have to make a quick run to my lab now. Will be back for dinner." He walked over to her and gave her a peck on the lips.

"Wha…? You're just gonna leave me here like this?" Caitlin asked, completely perplexed with his strange behavior.

"I'm sorry, we're already late and there is something urgent I need to take care of. Jesse will show you around and take you home, right honey?" He turned to his daughter.

"Gee, dad, I wish you were nicer to her." She sighed. "And here I thought you would quit being such a jerk once you're happy."

"Join the club," Snow joked and both the girls laughed.

Harry stood in the door, not sure what to do or say, feeling perplexed.

"Snow," he finally addressed her, his voice low, "you do realize you are _everything_ to me, don't you? I mean, you and Jesse. I want to spend this Christmas with you, I do and I will, but you're gonna have to trust me on this. There is truly something I _need_ to do now and I promise you, you will understand it all later, ok?"

The insecurity he just showed her undid Caitlin completely and she could only nod. "Sure, Harry," she finally spoke in a hoarse voice. "I trust you."

"Thank you."

And then he was just gone.

"You know, I was wrong," Jesse said with her hands placed on her hips and a strange expression on her face. "He did change." She turned to Caitlin.

"Is it a bad or a good thing?"

"Are you kidding me?! Of course it's good! Great, even! I was just about done with him being miserable and angry all the time! I couldn't be happier that he found you and I guess I should thank you for that. For making my dad happy, Caitlin. It's truly all I've ever wanted."

"Oh, Jesse, I don't know about that. I made him pretty miserable recently," Caitlin admitted when she walked with the girl towards the door.

"Don't you worry about it," the girl told her when winding her arm around hers as they strolled forward. "I'm sure it will all work itself out. What's important is that you love him. I couldn't ask for more."

Cait could only sigh heavily, still worried about the monster she seemed to be hiding inside. Because she was scared that eventually Killer Frost would come out even despite all the precautions they were taking with the cuffs and there would be nothing even Harry would be able to do to bring her back.

Then again, she reminded herself that it was Christmas and she shouldn't bother with something that might or might not happen in the future. All that counted was the right here and right now and life was actually good. She was exactly where she wanted and needed to be, with her family.

"Why don't you show me the Labs?" she asked Jesse then and the girl smiled to her brightly.

"With pleasure!"

* * *

By the time they reached Wells's house, Caitlin was truly at awe. She couldn't seem to get enough of this strange, new, wonderful and exciting earth. The S.T.A.R. Labs she'd seen so far, even despite the building being emptier than usual because of Christmas, were so vibrant, so beautiful and so full of life that she found herself missing her work. The kind that she'd been performing before the particle accelerator exploded on her earth. Then came seeing the part of the city they had to cross in order to get to the Wells's residence and it was just another marvel for Cait as she stared and stared, taking in all the shops windows and decorations and the clothes and things she saw there. Earth Two was beautiful, she had to admit that much, maybe even more so than her own.

Once Jesse stepped in front of the huge estate right behind the city, Caitlin just opened her mouth in shock.

"Wait… this… this is… where you actually _live_?" she gasped, seeing how beautiful and large this place was and how expensive it all must've been.

"Well, my dad does own the most popular scientific lab in the world," Jesse reminded with a smile, "so, yeah, this is our home. Though… ever since mom died, he hasn't been spending much time in it, you know? He usually just slept in his office."

"Um… ok." Caitlin nodded, biting on her lip.

"But that was a long time ago and he's already moved on. God, I'm sorry I even brought that up," Jesse immediately added, feeling awful about it.

"No, it's ok, Jesse. I understand," Caitlin calmed her down immedaitely and then placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "I lost my husband, too, so I understand."

"You know, that might be exactly why you're so good together with my dad. You've both suffered loss, both share the same passions for science and aiding team Flash. You're perfect for each other."

Caitlin smiled, actually fighting tears that threatened to flood her eyes. In the end, she didn't really have to say anything, Jesse understanding the older woman perfectly, having similar emotions because she was so looking forward to the first real Christmas since… Well, she'd rather not talk about _that_ again. She didn't want to ruin the mood. For the first time, she actually wanted to move forward. And she would.

* * *

After the tour of the Wells estate and numerous guests room she saw along her way that were obviously out of use, Caitlin wasn't surprised that a professional cook was hired to prepare the Christmas dinner. She did say her goodbyes right after the food was ready, heading home to celebrate with her own family and Jesse informed that her dad would never keep anyone working for him during that special time. That was new for Cait, actually, to see that he'd always seemed to have so much heart. It also made her ache inside when she thought that he must've been such a different man back when his wife had still been alive. But so had she, she then realized. She'd been a different person with Ronnie as well. And that was fine. Because people moved on and people evolved, changed and found each other again. The point of their lives in which both Harry and Caitlin were right now made it possible for them to collide. They were so much alike, though so different from the people they'd used to be. And she was all right with that, too, if only she had some means of getting rid of Killer Frost once and for all, that was.

At the end of the day, all the food was ready and the spacious living room had been decorated earlier by Jesse – Caitlin actually wondered what would Harry say to that once he got home – and he still wasn't there. She wondered about that and then truly started to worry. He did promise her she would understand everything once he came back, but the longer he was absent, the more unsettled she was becoming. Eventually, Jesse showed her one of the guest rooms where she could change and when she actually got back down to the living room, wearing her festive dark burgundy dress, she spotted Harry finally there, black suit altogether with black shirt on.

"Next Christmas," Caitlin started and he immediately turned to her, his blue eyes growing bigger as he took in the sight of her, "I'm giving you something in color," she threatened him, still with a smile on her face, though as she made her way to him to place her hands on his chest and kiss him.

"It's a deal," he agreed easily and she seemed surprised at that, so she frowned.

"What's with you?"

"Nothing. It's just that for once everything worked out perfectly," he assured her when reaching to the pocket of his jacket and her knees actually grew weak because the only thing she could think of that he had there was a… But it was too soon, wasn't it? She started panicking. They just started their relationship and there was still so many things to figure out. Like dealing with Killer Frost on top of them all and maybe Savitar that was still a threat on her own earth.

Then she breathed out in relief when she saw him opening the small box he retrieved from his pocket and… there was a small, single snowflake inside. A pendant.

"I couldn't make this without some materials from this earth, so that was why I wanted to go here for Christmas so badly," he explained. "And that is also why I had to leave you today with Jesse and head to my lab."

"I still… I don't understand," Caitlin admitted. "What's so special about this necklace? Though it _is_ beautiful, Harry, really."

"What's so special," he started when placing it around her neck as she gathered her hair to the side and up, "is that it will dampen your powers and the battery won't run out. You don't need these anymore." He reached to her wrists and took the cuffs off one by one.

Her eyes shone with tears as she looked into his. After all this time, all the looks they shared, she was still at awe of the magnitude of his affection for her.

"I… you…" she said and stopped, truly not knowing where she was even going with it. "Harry, this is… you'll never know how much this means to me!" she finally got it out and threw herself straight into his arms, feeling them immediately locking her in his embrace.

Once they finally let go of each other, though if someone asked, they would like to stay pressed together as long as possible and forget about the whole world and their problems; they finally sat by the table, ready to start the meal. Jesse was already there, wiping her teary eyes and Caitlin reached to the girl with a smile and gave her hand a little squeeze. Christmas music altogether with the lights on the enormous tree were on and Caitlin reminded herself to snap some pictures of the decorations and the room so she could show them to Cisco and Barry once she got back. She was sure they'd be at awe of it all just like she was. And they would totally tell Harry off for not inviting them as well.

* * *

Once the dinner was over and Jesse was out, meeting her own team Flash for Christmas, Caitlin found herself back in Harrison's arms. In fact, right now they were dancing slowly to the music coming from the speakers all over the house, her face resting against his cheek, her arms around his neck, bodies moving together to the slow rhythm.

"Who would think Harrison Wells can dance so well," she teased him, placing a small kiss to his neck, the closest part of his skin she could reach.

"Did you really doubt me, Snow?"

"You, maybe. I'm pretty sure HR can dance, but this Harry Wells… it _is_ a surprise," she admitted and he pulled back just then, a look of feigned annoyance clear on his face. "I love you," was all she could say in that moment. "I love you so much that sometimes it overwhelms me," she confessed while drowning in his azure eyes.

"I love you, too. More than you could possibly imagine, Snow," he responded.

"Oh, so we're doing that now, hah?" she teased again with a smile. "Arguing who loves whom more?"

"I actually have better things to do in mind," he said and before she managed to respond to that, he captured her lips with his, kissing her softly before sliding his tongue along her lower lip, feeling her mouth part until the kiss grew deeper and they started to get lost within one another.

He pulled her upstairs when taking her hand and they went straight to the room Jesse had given her before, Harry kicking the door close and immediately returning to kissing her, his hands cupping her face before pulling her hair back and sliding down her back to cup her buttocks. He then lifted her skirt so he could explore the flesh underneath, finding the lacy panties and then sliding a finger inside of her, earning himself a groan as she squirmed underneath his ministrations, all wet and ready for him.

She pulled his jacket off of him, then started working on the buttons of his shirt, exposing his chest to her eyes and then kissing the skin there, making her way down until she reached the zipper on his pants. Soon, that was undone as well and she slid his boxers down his legs.

"That's not fair," he commented when placing his hands on her shoulders and pulling up before she managed to stroke his already hard member. "I can't be the only one naked," he told her when pushing her towards the bed, undoing the zipper of her dress and letting it slide down to the floor where it soon joined his own clothes.

When they fell into bed, they were already naked when not counting the necklace she was still wearing and couldn't take off. It made for a tantalizing sight as the snowflake seemed to pinpoint the space between her breasts.

He quickly covered her body with his own, settling himself between her legs and bracing on his elbows as he started kissing her again. She reached down and finally grasped him, guiding him inside since she was done waiting for this. She was done with foreplay, she needed action. They both groaned as he slid in, filling her fully and then starting to move, her hips going up to meet his thrusts, both lost in each other as though the outside world didn't even exist.

And for now, it did not.


	17. Chapter 17

This was taking being lazy to the extreme, Caitlin thought as she screamed Harrison's name when coming.

Barely had they woken up, he started fondling her breasts as he was spooning her, his erection already hard and ready against her backside. Yet, they didn't move much, Caitlin simply lifted her leg a little and allowed him to slid in and they tried out this new position. In the end, they decided that ok, maybe it seemed lazy, but it was actually harder to achieve than it looked.

"Oh, God… Snow, that was…" Harry released her from his hold after he spilled his seed inside of her, finally turning to his back and stretching his entire body.

"Amazing?" she guessed when shifting to her other side to be able to look at him. His body shone with sweat in the morning light and the sight of it was so tantalizing to her eyes that she had to keep reminding herself that it was only because they already _had_ sex. Or maybe a round two wouldn't be so…

And it was just another day on Earth Two.

Initially, they thought they would go right back, but in the end they decided to stay a little bit longer just because Harrison still had so much to show to Caitlin and after he told her how amazing New Year's Eve would be like on his earth, there was no way she was leaving without experiencing that herself.

"So, I hope that you will actually show me all the things you love about this city here," Caitlin then said.

Harrison looked at her with smoldering eyes. "That would actually require leaving this bed and taking a shower," he pointed out.

"Yes. And getting some breakfast on the way. You've made me burn quite a few calories there, mister. I need my sustenance."

On hearing that, he chuckled and then he finally sighed. "All right. We're getting up," he decided when sitting up on the bed and leaning to kiss her one more time. He meant for it to be just a peck on the lips, but he ended up kissing her fully until there was truly no breath left in his lungs. Sometimes he wondered what this woman was doing to him. Maybe she did not only have the powers to turn things into ice. Maybe she could also make a person feel so much younger than they really were, because seriously, the stamina he had with her still surprised him sometimes.

Or maybe it was simply that love made you fly, he figured when finally leaving the bed and heading for the bathroom.

* * *

After a healthy and delicious breakfast in one of Harrison's favorite places, they enjoyed a slow walk around the city, nursing a cup of coffee each and holding hands.

"This is weird…" Caitlin broke the companionable silence after a while.

"What is?" he wanted to know, immediately shifting his eyes to her.

"It's supposed to be winter here, too, right? You do have four seasons?" she made sure and he laughed.

"Yes, Snow, we do," he still assured her.

"So it's too warm. Is that normal?"

"Actually, no," he sighed when giving her his answer. "I'm afraid it might be the start of a global warming on this earth… Come, I've always liked this park."

They crossed the street and headed towards the green spot. Snow actually laughed when spotting the sign put at the entrance.

"What's so funny?"

"Central Park? Really?"

He frowned, not understanding her at all.

"This is _still_ the Central City," he eventually said as they walked inside.

"We have a Central Park, too," she notified, "only in New York."

"Which makes no sense," Harry made her realize. "Besides, _that_ city is definitely _not_ new anymore."

"Why do you always have to be such a spoilsport?" Caitlin asked, bumping into his side playfully. They spotted a free bench just then, so they grabbed the opportunity and sat on it.

"Me? It's your world that have all those strange names I will never begin to understand," Harrison argued for the sake of arguing. They both knew it. In fact, he always enjoyed a playful banter with her.

Caitlin looked up at the sky, watching the birds flying there and then she spotted the top of S.T.A.R. Labs that was visible even with all the trees around.

"I have one more question for you," she began again, shifting her eyes from the Labs to Harry's blues.

"You don't say," he teased her when smiling warmly. In fact, she loved how happy and carefree he was here on his home planet; though she knew it had nothing to do with the place and everything with the fact that they could have a few quiet and pleasurable days they could spend together without having to worry about the team or any new crisis arising.

"I always wondered… why _S.T.A.R._ Labs? Is it because of it hosting so many scientific stars?"

She was surprised when he actually fell silent, not giving her any answer and instead just staring at something in the distance.

Seeing that he wasn't going to make it easy for her, she said, "Actually, you have nothing to be worried about, dr. Wells," she continued, reading him all wrong, "because you _are_ and will _always_ be the only star I see," she finished with a smile, very proud of herself. Only then… "What did I say?" she asked in confusion since she noticed a slight grimace passing through his face. "Harry?" she prompted, giving his hand that she was still holding a little squeeze. "Harry, what's wrong? What did I say?"

He shook his head.

"Nothing," he finally spoke. "It's just… ah," he sighed, bringing his free hand to his face and taking his glasses off as though he just had to occupy himself with something. "It's just that my wife… Tess…" he finally said slowly, "she was the one to name the Labs. And that was exactly the reason." His eyes met hers just then, honesty and melancholy in their depths. Somehow the lack of glasses painted him even more vulnerable and Caitlin truly did not know how to react. "She told me once that I was the only star she saw in the vast night sky."

"Oh," Caitlin gasped, suddenly feeling color hitting her cheeks. "I… Oh, God, Harry, I am so, so sorry! I had no idea! Of course, you do not have to respond any way… Let's just forget I ever said anything," she quickly dismissed all of what she told him, feeling embarrassed.

"No, Snow, it's fine," he assured her, putting the glasses back on and facing her again. "The truth is that ever since she died… my own personal sky was dark, lit only by Jesse from time to time, but…" he took a deep breath before he confessed, "I guess what I'm trying to say here is that _you_ are up there now."

Again, this bare and overwhelming vulnerability she saw in his eyes undid her completely. She felt tears pricking her own as she leaned forward, placing a soft and loving kiss to his mouth. It was all she could do now, truly, being at lack for words herself. The worst part was that suddenly, there was this weight in her stomach that she hadn't felt before and it had nothing to do with being committed to him. _That_ was all she truly wanted. She never wanted to let go of him. She wanted to keep this relationship forever and cherish that they'd found one another. The problem was that the forever part wasn't guaranteed because of her powers, because of the monster she was still hiding inside. She had no way of knowing whether she would be able to handle it in the long haul. Feeling this helpless was the worst. Knowing that she had _everything,_ that she found _everything_ and that she might lose it all because of something she might have no control over in the end was downright terrifying. Like dark clouds on the horizon. Like impending doom.

"Jesse did say you haven't been spending much time in the house ever since…" Caitlin forced her thoughts away from Killer Frost and continued their conversation, seeing an opportunity here. She never felt like pushing Harry to open up some more about his dead wife, but this moment seemed right and he was willing.

"Well, yeah, it was too empty," he answered in a normal voice, clearly handling himself well, ready for that talk. "You know, we were meant to fill it with kids and teach them all about science and observe as they grow up and love it themselves, but… it never happened. Tess got sick. After that I just couldn't stand the sight of this huge house being so empty."

Caitlin nodded, remembering that Jesse had told her something similar earlier. It was the girl's mother who'd always wanted a big spectacular house.

"So, you really are ok with living in my small apartment?" Caitlin then asked, partially to know the answer and partially to lighten the mood a bit. "Because that residence, mister…" she shook her head, "is so freaking _big_!"

He chuckled and it was a pleasure to see him finally smiling.

"I never cared for the house," he told her. "It was Tess's idea and once, I would do just about anything to make her happy."

Caitlin nodded and then informed, "Well, I myself am small things kind of a girl, dr. Wells. I would be happy with a simple house in the suburbs." As she said that, she actually let herself dream and in her mind she could already see it. She and Harry living on the outside of the city, having kids, being happy… Her dream was a simple life that she could have with him, but she immediately felt like crying, because she remembered about her powers. Who knew if she could even have kids to begin with… Not with her powers, she decided just then. The risk was too great.

"Hey, you know we will be just fine, don't you?" Harry suddenly asked as though he could read her thoughts.

She locked her eyes with his again and smiled at him brightly through her tears. Then she nodded. "Yes, I do. With you everything is possible," she assured him and he responded with a smile as well before he leaned forward to kiss her.

* * *

Caitlin couldn't explain it, but she still had this bad feeling inside and could do nothing about it. Yes, they were all happy now, enjoying their last night on Earth Two when watching the amazing fireworks in the sky, but she just couldn't rid of it. It was as though something was coming, something very, very bad and she could only hope she and Harrison would be all right. After everything he'd told her about his dead wife, she would be damned if he had to go through losing another woman he loved again. She would fight Killer Frost if necessary and she would fight her to the grave! She would not leave this man alone. She would simply not. What she felt inside didn't matter. She could win this fight, she told herself and felt much better, though this strange weight was still in her stomach.

Harrison was currently standing behind her, hugging her as they were looking up into the sky and she tightened her hold on his arms that rested in her middle. Luckily for her, soon enough her whole attention was focused up so she was able to temporarily forget about her worries. Because the truth was that she'd never before in her life seen something so amazing during New Year's Eve. Those fireworks were actually silent – Harry seemed horrified that on her earth they were loud. He then was immediately concerned about all the animals that must've suffered because of it, once again giving away that he cared more about things than he was willing to admit.

Right now Caitlin was watching in awe as the fireworks weren't just silent but in fact depicted various exploding animal shapes that stayed in the sky for much longer than on her own earth. In fact, once the whole show was over, there were numerous creatures dancing and running all over the clouds and amid the stars and eventually, she realized Harry wasn't watching them anymore. His eyes were entirely focused on her face and the expression of awe he saw there.

Once she met his blues, she forgot about the wonders she'd just seen all the same. Because all of that she could see in his eyes whenever she looked at him. In that moment, they understood each other without words and they simply collided together, kissing.

"Oh, come on! A little bit too much, don't you think?" they heard Jesse as she just sped up to them to probably wish them a happy new year. "Get a room, guys! Aren't you too old for this anyway?" She turned to her dad once he finally tore away from Snow.

"Thank you, Jesse, for ruining a perfect moment," he said in a voice obviously conveying sarcasm. "And no, love is for everyone. No matter how old you think I am."

"Not old at all. If so, so amazingly sexy," Caitlin told him and Jesse groaned.

"Ok, I'll actually be really happy once you two get back home. I need some space again."

"You were the one who asked us here," Harrison reminded her.

"Yes. And that was a week ago, so… you can go now." She winked at the couple and they all knew they were just teasing one another.

Snow actually just now remembered that she wanted to take some pictures and maybe make a little movie for the guys back home so they could see the show, but it was too late. Yet, when she pointed that out to Harry, he just rolled his eyes at her.

"Do you really think I owe this big house without any security cameras? During New Year's Eve they are always pointed at the sky and film in color. It's a tradition Jesse started when she was little. She wanted to watch the fireworks all year long."

Well, that most definitely came in handy even if the way Harry informed her of it sounded cocky. Speaking of…

* * *

By the time Harry and Caitlin finally came back home, she managed to rid herself of all those strange and ominous feelings she'd been having by telling herself that she was just scared. Everything seemed to be going just fine now. In fact, it was better than fine with the pendant Harry had given her as a Christmas gift with the assurance that as long as she was wearing it, there was no way Killer Frost could ever come forward. In the end, they made their return all happy and relaxed, carrying both memories and souvenirs – the second of course all Cait's doing as Harry had never brought anything for the team so far and wasn't about to start.

"Oh, wait… wait…" Cisco came to a sudden stop when the gifts were all given and Caitlin wanted to proceed to showing her friends all the pictures and videos she'd made. "Where are my cuffs?" he asked then, staring at her bare wrists. "And how are you not…?" his voice trailed off, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face. "Are you cured? Did he cure you?! Is there something on Earth Two that can do that? Or maybe you somehow learnt to control…"

"Cisco, stop," she shut him down just then, reaching to her neck and taking the pendant out from the inside of her blouse. "I'm not cured. This is… this is actually a gift from Harry. It's a self contained battery, a miracle truly, from Earth Two."

"And it's a small snowflake!" Iris chirped when she noticed that. "So cute!"

"Not only helpful and discreet, but also custom made," Harry informed when putting his arm around Cait, a huge smile on his face as he was clearly proud of what he'd accomplished.

"Yeah… yeah…" Cisco waved his hand. "You know what? It's unbecoming."

"I _am_ a genius on my earth and on your earth as well in case you haven't noticed."

"Yeah, and it's taken a trip back home for you to come up with this thing!"

"Because the materials on my earth are so much more superior than those on yours!"

"Guys, guys!" Caitlin raised both her voice and hands. "Please, just stop. Do you really have to argue? We've just barely got back!"

"Oh, great!" they suddenly heard HR as he showed up. "You're back! Now, I invite you all to see the S.T.A.R. Labs museum!"

"I'm sorry… _what?"_ was all Harry could say to _that_. "How long have we been gone?"

* * *

"But _why_?" he repeated one more time and Caitlin could swear, Harry Wells started to actually _whine_. "I mean… making Labs into an actual _museum_?! Snow, this a terrible idea! It's… it's giving up! You want to change something around here? How about trying to restore the past glory! Not sign a death certificate!"

Caitlin was staring at him and staring and she truly did not know what to even say to _that_. Because all right, she might actually agree with him on this. She didn't like the idea of making S.T.A.R. Labs into a museum, but HR truly worked hard on it and he desperately wanted this project to succeed. She couldn't just look into the face who was exactly the same as that of the man she loved and tell him he was wrong. She just wouldn't do that. Besides, she felt sorry enough for the guy that Harry refused to change his attitude towards him and treated him like trash. In fact, maybe _that_ was what they should really be talking about.

"First of all," she started just then, her voice growing strong and confident and it actually caused Harry to shut up as he realized she was serious, " _we are going_ there at least for a while. HR has apparently been working really hard on it and he believes in this project! We should back him up, because this is exactly what friends do!"

"I'm not exactly his…"

"I am not done!" Caitlin pointed her finger at Harry. "If you wanted the Labs back on their feet so badly, maybe you should have said something! Harry, if this is what you want to do here, by all means, why don't you just do it?"

"Wait… what?" He was confused now. He actually blinked a few times before understanding what she meant. "But I already have my own S.T.A.R. Labs! I don't need another! I'm the boss there! They belong to me! I moved here so I could be with you and…"

"And what?" Caitlin suddenly picked up on that.

"All right, listen…" He sighed when running a hand over his mouth. "I've pretty much accomplished everything there was to accomplish on my earth, ok? And here… I have no desire to work on, yet, another S.T.A.R. Labs. I'm here for the team. To work with you all. And to be with you. Besides, I can't even show my face anywhere outside this building, so do you really think I could become the head of this thing?" He looked around.

"Well, the device HR has, comes real handy…"

"Oh, no! I won't be disguising myself! That is just so not my style!"

"We would have to figure something out eventually, Harry." Caitlin sighed, actually grasping the whole point now. In fact, they'd been so worried about her powers that they somehow forgot this huge detail. They would eventually have to do something about it. "But you won't get away _that_ easily," she teased then, suddenly realizing what he truly wanted to achieve by mentioning his inability to show himself up in public. "We're going to the opening, even if briefly, to show HR some support! And don't even try to be mean to him! You have been nothing by that ever since we met him and it's just too much, ok? We all like this guy… and no, no more than you, because _I love you_ , ok?" she added fast, seeing the look on his face. After that, she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the elevators. She already had a nice and pretty dress on, her hair all done and despite him wearing only a pair of black pants and a black sweater, he didn't look so bad either.

* * *

They did just what Caitlin wanted, showing up and disappearing before any first visitor could walk through the door and possibly recognize Harry. Because to get coffee at Jitters while wearing a ball cap was one thing, but to actually welcome someone to S.T.A.R. Labs when wearing the face of his predecessor was a completely different story.

They ended up grabbing some coffee and dinner and were just about to dig in when their phones beeped simultaneously.

"You gotta be kidding me," Harry complained with a burger half-way to his mouth. He reluctantly put it away. "Here we go. I already miss Earth Two. We've just got back, for God's sake! What can be so important? The _non_ -arrest Barry made today?"

Caitlin had no idea, but if she were to be honest, she was still a little put off by the fact that Barry had refused to arrest Plunder. Who knew, maybe they would soon find out…

* * *

A good few minutes had passed since Barry and Iris stopped speaking and there was heavy silence, everyone stunned with what they just heard.

While getting rid of the philosopher's stone, Barry had somehow ended up in the future and seen Savitar murdering Iris.

It all just got a lot more complicated.

"Future isn't set in stone," Harry eventually said when folding his arms over his chest. "Whatever you saw, it was a direct outcome of your actions. If you decide to act differently than usual from now on, maybe then…"

"Oh, no, you see," HR followed immediately and Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his doppelganger, "I believe man meets his faith on the paths he chooses to avoid it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry frowned. "Then your advice is to do everything the way we would if we didn't know?"

"No, I think we need to find the right events to alter so this future won't come to be."

"Wait… wait…" Cisco reached his hand out. "What if I vibe what Barry saw? Barry, dude, you did say you saw some news about Plunder being arrested and pending trial, right? Was there more? Could we somehow find them out?"

Barry thought for a moment. "Actually, yes," he answered, "the news were all there in the bus stop. We just have to go back and read them and make sure we change it all."

"Sounds like a plan," both Harry and HR agreed and they looked at one another with the slight change that Harry frowned whereas HR smiled brightly, pointing at his doppelganger and saying proudly that they were really alike.

"Um… no, we are _not_ ," Harry immediately disagreed with a sour expression on his face.

Cisco quickly proceeded to vibing Barry so they wouldn't have to wait any longer for the news and HR stood by the board, ready to write everything down.

They heard a few casual news, followed by, "Joe West honored at the city hall."

"Good for you, Joe," HR nodded with appreciation and put it down.

"Killer…" Cisco said and came to a sudden stop.

"Wait… what?" Caitlin picked up on that, feeling her blood starting to boil, because if he truly… If her worst fears…

"Killer Frost still at large," her friend eventually got out and she felt as though she was paralyzed, just standing there, but yet seeming to exist outside of her body, a sudden terror holding her in its vise. _What_? Her left hand wandered up to her neck to touch the pendant that was obviously still there whereas the right one sought Harry's and grasped it. Only at this moment Caitlin was too scared to actually look at him. "S.T.A.R. Labs museum closes… City still recovering following gorilla attack…"

"Wait… see?" Barry suddenly asked, though both Caitlin and Harry still seemed to be too shocked to register any of what followed after the Killer Frost mention. "HR's on the roof… He wasn't there before! It means the future is already changing!"

"How do you know it's not Harry?" Caitlin asked the most obvious question just to say something, just to take her mind off of the fact that… Only no, she couldn't seem to succeed.

"Definitely HR. He's got a hat."

"Yeah," HR actually chuckled, turning to face his doppelganger. The moment he saw his face that was actually white as paper, he stopped whatever he was going to say and just let it go.

The vibe was over and both Cisco and Barry were back with them.

"I guess we have all we need to save Iris," Barry said when walking over to the board.

"Guys, my future isn't the only one that we need to change," Iris mentioned and they all finally looked at Caitlin was still just standing there, holding on to Harry's hand like to a lifeline.

"I… I don't understand," Harry finally spoke and Snow couldn't prolog this moment any longer. She braved it out and looked at him. He was pale and just now running his free hand over his forehead. "I made the pendant. There is no way it can ever malfunction."

"We have no way of knowing how it will really happen, Harry," Barry reminded him.

"But whatever happens…" Cisco started then, wanting to bring on some encouragement for the team, but Harry wasn't listening. Instead, he just turned around and left the cortex.

Caitlin followed immediately, her only concern for him right now.

"Harry," she spoke his name gently as she caught up with him in the hall. He must've not even been aware of where he was going because he just stopped right in front of the elevator, but instead of pushing the button, he started pacing back and forth, his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"Harry," Caitlin repeated his name, reaching out to him and touching his shoulder. He did still then, but his back was still turned to her. All she could hear was a ragged sigh. "Harry, we can fight this. We've already accomplished so much. I know we can do better. My mother is still working on the cure. Maybe one day finding it will actually be possible."

"What if it's too late by then?" he asked in a hoarse voice, finally facing her, his eyes defeated and tired.

"We can save Iris. I really believe we can. And if we can do that, then I'm positive we can also save me."

"I just don't understand, Snow," he said. "I don't understand how this won't work." He reached to her neck and touched the small snowflake resting there.

Caitlin covered his hand with her own, looking up at him.

"We will figure this out. I'm sure of it. At least we have some heads up, don't we?"

He didn't know what to say then, so he just settled for action. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly and kissing the side of her head. He never wanted to let her go.

* * *

They managed to achieve a small victory that night when it wasn't actually the Flash who arrested Plunder like in the future news, but the Kid Flash. And if they could change this, they could change so much more.

At least it was what Catlin kept telling herself as she and Harry showed up at Barry and Iris's house warming party. They all needed to hold on to their sanity, they need to be able to spend time together like this, not just during crisis. They needed it. Then again, it didn't mean that their minds were at rest.

Also, Caitlin discovered that it wasn't really herself she'd been worried about recently but Harrison. Somehow along the way she stopped working herself up over her powers and being terrified of losing herself in them and started being scared for Harry. Because if something happened and she became Killer Frost, she probably wouldn't even be aware of that. Though _he_ would. And it was the most terrifying thing in the world for her to imagine. She didn't want to risk him losing her. She imagined what she would feel if something happened to him after Ronnie had already died on her and she trembled at the very thought of it.

"You're doing that, too, hah?" she suddenly heard Iris's voice and she nearly jumped, too lost in her own thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Caitlin asked the other woman.

"You're not worried about yourself. You're worried about what losing you will do to Harry, aren't you?"

Caitlin released a heavy sigh before admitting Iris right.

"I keep wondering the same about Barry and… I'd rather not know."

"How can we even fight this, Iris? It's like fighting destiny."

"Yes, but despite the future being somewhere out there, we're here right now," she heard in answer, "we are still making choices, we are living. So no, I do not believe everything is just set. We can still change things. We just need to be smart about it, Cait."

In the end, Snow actually managed to smile, feeling an unexpected kinship between her and Iris. Because right now they kind of had the same goal. She then located Harry on the other side of the room, just now talking to Barry and she wondered whether they were possibly having a similar conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BrokenBookAddict – I tried. I really, really tried to put this sky line differently so it wouldn't look like I stole it. I hope it's all right with you that I made my own version. I'm certain I would use it even if I didn't read it in your story first. I did make the effort to put it in a slightly altered way, though : )


	18. Chapter 18

The next few days brought a surprising development with a metahuman calling herself Gypsy and arriving from Earth 19 to collect no one else but HR. Harry, on hearing that, wasn't even surprised that HR might've illegally escaped to Earth 1 and he simply retreated to his lab, leaving that particular problem to the rest of team as though they didn't have enough on their plates when trying to figure out how to make Barry faster so he could save Iris.

Whereas Cisco foolishly agreed to actually fight Gypsy; his attraction towards the heroine so obvious it had Caitlin rolling her eyes; Snow decided to seek Harry out. She was of no use to the team right now anyways unless Cisco would suffer from some injuries. She truly hoped not. Though as much as she was worried about her best friend, she knew there was nothing she could do to persuade him not to go through with his plan in the end. Right now there was another man in the Labs she cared about deeply that required her attention. In fact, he was the most important person in the whole world to her and his recent behavior had her troubled.

"I missed you last night," she said gently when entering his lab and closing the door behind her. She found him just where she expected – by his desk while working on some equations.

"I was busy," he replied without even looking up at her and she released a heavy sigh.

"Harry…" She walked over to him and then stood directly behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders and massaging gently. "God, you're tense. Have you spent the whole night in this chair?" He actually groaned at her ministrations and allowed himself to lean back in his chair, her touch so pleasant and relaxing. He still hadn't answered her question, though. "Harry, you can't go crazy like this."

"What does that even mean?" he finally asked, tilting his head so he could look at her standing over him.

"You know. You're working yourself up over the fact that I may become Killer Frost in the future."

"Very likely future and probably sooner rather than later, so you cannot possibly blame me for trying to find a real cure for you," he said when getting up from his chair and stretching out, another groan released from his mouth when his joints popped.

Caitlin was just standing there, her arms folded over her chest, a troubled expression on her face.

"I'm worried about you. You can't lose yourself like this. You won't even be able to come up with a good enough cure if you're this tired. You should get some rest," she tried one more time. "Besides, how do you even expect to figure out a possible solution without a biochemist?"

"I'm not," he simply said when looking at her. "I'm in contact with your mother."

"You're _what_?" Caitlin gasped in surprise.

"Yeah," he admitted with a nod. "Actually, I think I'm growing on her," he teased just then and sent her a smile that, yet, quickly faded away. "Snow, what do you expect me to do here? We know that Iris is going to die in May and you… you turning all frosty will happen even sooner if we are to believe the order of that news."

Caitlin only sighed again. "I know, Harry, I know," she eventually said when walking over to him and looking him in the eye from up close. "But we have no way of knowing _how_. We're grasping at straws here. Your device works." Her hand absentmindedly reached for the pendant secured over her neck. "Who knows, maybe I am going to take it off for a reason."

"Are you even _serious_ right now? Why would you do that? The only logical explanation would be…" he started working himself up over this again.

"Stop," she quickly shut him down. "Just… stop, ok? We are going to be just fine. For now, I need you to come home with me."

"I think we have more important things on our minds right now than…"

"This is so you would rest. Once you're not exhausted, your mind will clear. Come."

She took his hand and pulled him towards the door. Yet, he still came to stop and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be with the team? Saving that jackass, HR?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes at that, exasperated by now that Harry hated HR so much, but then again, that must've stemmed from the fact that his doppelganger was so much easier to be around than Harry himself, so Cait understood he just felt insecure. And it would be cute if they didn't have so much on their heads, so she just decided to ignore it.

"They have Julian down there to help with Cisco's impromptu training," she quickly explained.

"Oh, and you'd rather stay away from the man you kidnapped." Harry nodded in understanding. "You're gonna have to face him eventually, you know."

"Why? Because you're doing so well with HR?" she teased. "I don't think so. I'd rather avoid him if I can. I don't want him to call the police the moment he sees me."

"Hasn't Barry talked to him?"

"I didn't ask. I was too afraid of the answer."

* * *

"Oh, God, this feel good," Harry groaned loudly when lying on his belly.

Caitlin was straddling his backside, her hands massaging his back rhythmically, undoing all the tight knots on his muscles and it felt so heavenly he was actually in danger of falling asleep.

Or maybe not, he decided when he started having some other needs, a direct outcome of Caitlin being so damn close and making him feel so damn good.

"What would I do without you?" he just asked in blissfulness.

"Run yourself down till you collapsed?" she teased him, actually being a little turned on herself. She did quite literally have him between her legs, even if technically it was his butt. Though a very firm and cute butt, she remembered the second she revoked the image from memory since he was still dressed.

"I think this is enough," Harry eventually said when his nagging erection couldn't be ignored any longer. In fact, it was getting quite painful for him to be lying on it.

"I think you need some more…"

"This is so _not_ what I meant," he informed when gently turning around so she had the time to lift her body, allowing him for that change. The moment she straddled him back, she gasped.

"Oh… you mean _that_ ," she nodded in understanding, a smile appearing on her face as she grazed herself against him, earning another groan, this time prompted by a different type of pleasure.

"I think some more relaxation and… release would be good for me before I fall asleep," he suggested in a hoarse voice and she couldn't agree more when leaning forward on his chest to kiss him on the lips, still rolling her hips over him. She quickly undid his belt and then the button on his pants along with the fly, both of them pretty worked up by now and in no need of more of a foreplay.

"Like this?" she asked him when stroking him gently and then pushing her panties aside when still wearing her work skirt so she could immediately sink into him.

"Oh, yeah…" he voiced his appreciation in a deep throaty voice. "Just like this…"

* * *

While Harrison was sleeping his exhaustion off, Caitlin did get up and go back to the Labs, afraid for Cisco. She was happy to have found out the man actually won the duel with Gypsy and allowed the woman to live, therefore making a new friend. Or maybe he hoped for something more there to happen in the future? Well, time would tell, Snow decided, suddenly growing sad when thinking about it. Could it be actually true that the necklace would work and she would simply choose to become Killer Frost by taking it off? But that was ridiculous and made no sense, so there had to be some other explanation… For now, she decided to look over the notes Harry and her mother had gathered up so far on a possible cure.

* * *

The team hadn't seen both Caitlin and Harry in the cortex for a while, so when they finally walked in there, HR raised the cup of coffee he was currently holding in salute.

"Guys! You totally missed Iris telling Joe the truth about the future!"

"And yet, I don't feel bad about it," Caitlin murmured under her breath. "Joe must be devastated."

"He'll be fine!" HR remained optimistic. "I'm sure everything and everyone will be fine in the end! We can do anything, right?!"

"How many cups of coffee have you already had?" Cisco just asked. "Because, dude, this is too bright even for you! This isn't a book you're gonna write a happy ending into, ok?"

"With you, Ramon," Harry backed him up with a smile on his face. "Remind me again why you saved this guy's life?" he asked then. "And now I find out he's actually _staying?!_ I'm staying, too! And I can promise you that at some point, _I_ may actually kill him."

Caitlin frowned at that, ready to tell Harry that maybe he should lay off HR for a bit. She was already opening her mouth when Cisco suddenly turned to her.

"And where have you been? Girl! We needed you! I texted you like five times!"

"Well… you did have Julian, didn't you?" she just asked, watching HR intently, but deciding that there was no hard feelings from his side towards the version of Wells that she loved whatsoever. Either the man was so confident that he didn't care or he just thought it was all one big joke on Harry's part.

"Aha!" Cisco then guessed when pointing his finger at her. "You're avoiding him!"

"Julian? Why would I?" Caitlin pretended not to get what he meant.

"You're totally avoiding him," said Harry and she shot him a betrayed look. "What? You did kind of kidnapped him and threatened him."

"Yeah!" HR suddenly spoke again. "My favorite part was when BA totally knocked him out!" He put the empty coffee cup down and hit the air with his fist, clearly reenacting it.

"I kind of agree. That was awesome!" Cisco backed him up and even Harry managed to smile when Wally suddenly sped into the cortex, carrying his sister in his arms.

* * *

They were all gathered around the bed in which Iris was lying, her body slowly being infected, threatening to decay and kill her in a matter of seconds.

Caitlin was just standing there with her eyes widely opened, desperately trying to come up with a solution to help her friend. She quickly grabbed the notes Julian had left behind about the other people attacked by this specific meta and quite frankly, there were out of time and the only solution that came to her head might be a suicide for her.

"I have no choice. I need to use my powers to slow down the process by freezing it," she eventually forced herself to speak out loud and was already reaching to her neck to take the pendant off when there was suddenly a hand clasped over her own firmly. She swallowed and eventually turned to face Harrison.

"You. Are. Not. Risking. It," he said slowly, expressively.

"Harry, we have no choice," she tried to reason with him. "If I don't do this, Iris will die."

"And what if you'll die if you do it?! What if _this_ is how you become Killer Frost?!" he suddenly erupted. "After all, you are the first to go before West dies!"

"So we just let Iris go _sooner_?!" Barry yelled, terrified. "Harry, listen to yourself!"

"I hate to say this, but we have to risk it," Cisco backed his friend up. "We can't change the future by letting Iris die now instead of in a few months."

"Like hell we are!" Joe agreed, already going out of his mind and Harry just turned to them all angrily, running a shaky hand over his mouth.

"But I can't just lose her!" he still argued and then he realized the necklace was already off and Caitlin was slowly releasing ice on Iris's skin. "Snow!" he screamed, getting to her, but he knew that there was no way out of this. It could have as well been Caitlin dying and Iris could help her and risk her life in the process. He wouldn't hesitate to ask then like Allen had just done.

In the end, Harrison could only groan and watch the woman he loved intently, looking for any signs of Killer Frost, ready to act and put the necklace back on her even if by force.

"Snow," he still said, "what if…?" he truly didn't know how to even finish this question, his whole body shaking as he was plain terrified of the possible outcome.

"I can handle this, Harry," she assured him, her voice still her own and the color of her eyes still brown, so that was a good sign. It meant they still had time, but they couldn't know how long exactly. "Guys, better take care of this meta. I don't know for how much longer I can hold."

They all nodded, dispersing, going over their plan.

And all that Harry could do was to watch Snow and wait. And that was the worst.

* * *

It happened when Iris suddenly got worse and Caitlin had no choice but to increase the flow of ice from her hands. Barry was there in a flash which was no surprise, really, stroking Iris's hair and grasping her healthy hand when whispering to her to hold on whereas Caitlin…

Harrison's mouth went dry when he realized that he looked away just for a few seconds and when he gazed into her eyes again, they were blue and shiny. _Fuck._

"I can end her life with one move of my finger," Killer Frost teased and Barry looked up at her in horror. "And you," she then turned to equally struck Harry, "once I take over, there will be nothing left of your precious Snow."

Wells was already moving towards her purposefully, hiding the necklace behind his back, ready to just put it on her, force his Caitlin back when Barry screamed at him not to. In fact, the younger man started to beg. And Harry knew that if he did this, Iris would surely die within seconds and that Caitlin wouldn't manage to help her on time. The choice was clear - he could either force the change back onto the woman he loved and let the woman Barry loved die or... or he could risk it.

He always knew that getting himself so attached to the team would bite him in the ass one day. It had already happened once. He'd been ready to betray them all just so he could get his daughter back and he knew now how foolish that would be. He'd had no way of knowing whether Zoom would even return Jesse and not kill him instead. It was Caitlin who'd convinced him then to trust her and the team. It was Caitlin that had saved his soul.

Now he had to be strong for her, because this was what she wanted. She wanted to help Iris. She was ready to risk her own life and the life she had with Harry to do so and even if he hated her a little for it, he also loved her that much more. Because Snow was and would always be his _conscience._

In the end, he just walked over to her and placed his hand on her arm.

" _Snow_ ," he called her, her last name his favorite nickname for her. "Snow, look at me."

He didn't really think it would work, but in the end she did look up into his eyes and he welcomed with relief the softness that followed. He was so close. He could feel Caitlin within his grasp. So he tried harder.

"I can't lose you, Caitlin," he said slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. He could see the woman's hesitation clearly. "I can't because I only live for _you_. Jesse doesn't need me anymore and what I need is _you_. I won't survive alone. Not again. You, out of all people, know what I've been through in my life. You _understand_. You always have just because you have been through the same, right? So fight, Snow. _Fight._ For me. Remember how we met? How you made me hope? How you made me open up? You made me change my mind when I was ready to betray the whole team just to get my daughter back. Thanks to you, I didn't kill Turtle. You made and are still making me a better man. Come back to me, Caitlin. Come on… You are the strongest person I know, so fight this! Come back!"

To his relief, she blinked a few times, a look of sudden recognition in her eyes when the color returned and she gasped, "Harry."

"Yes. That's right," he said softly, doing his best not to break again. She needed him strong, so he would be just that for her. He couldn't lose it now. "That's right, honey. Hold on, ok? You can do this. For me."

She nodded and then she said, "Anything for you."

She came right back to focusing her attention on Iris, to saving the woman's life and Harry moved directly behind her and put his arms around her tightly, his head fitting into the crook of her neck as he held on to her, his eyes meeting Barry's on the other side of the bed as the man just nodded at him and voiced a silent thank you. Wells didn't respond, too busy reigning his emotions in. He couldn't possibly erupt now, though he was furious. Or maybe still terrified of the future. He wasn't sure. Because he actually had a pretty good idea of how Caitlin might eventually lose herself. And this was exactly how.

* * *

Luckily for them all, it was all over quickly when Wally neutralized the meta with his blood and Iris was all right, the meta's powers no longer wrecking havoc in her body.

The moment Caitlin stopped using her powers and Harry released her from his arms, placing the pendant back on her neck, he simply turned around and walked through the door.

"Harry…?" she called after him in surprise, but sadly, she couldn't follow just yet. Now she needed to treat the damage she herself had done to Iris's flesh with her own powers. Still, freezing the whole process saved her friend's life even if she walked out of it with a small frostbite.

* * *

After they were all done for the night, Caitlin was finally free to go and seek Harry out, but for some reason, she didn't. She just stayed in her lab, sitting by her desk and hiding her face in her hands.

That was how HR found her.

"Are you all right?" he asked and she looked up immediately, hoping to see Harry there. He seemed hurt to see the look of disappointment on her face.

"HR…" she said quickly, feeling guilty of the welcoming she'd just given him. "I'm sorry. I thought it was…"

"Yeah. I have to admit, my doppelganger can be an ass sometimes," he said when walking inside and pulling up a chair to her desk so he could sit by her side.

She actually snorted at that.

" _Sometimes_? I think that's an understatement."

"Maybe. But you love him anyway."

"I do," she admitted with a sigh. "You know, I actually was the first person in the whole team to see more in him. Everyone else just took him for a selfish jerk, but to me…" she thought about it for a moment, "to me there was always something more to him. A deeply hurt man hiding beneath all that sarcasm and gruffness. I always seemed to know he just felt too deeply and was afraid of showing it."

"Until he met _you_ ," HR guessed.

"I wish." She smiled wistfully. "It took me a while to get through to him."

"Still, something tells me you were the only one who could… Listen, I know I'm not really him, but in the same time I think we are really alike even if he refuses to admit that," he then followed with. "It doesn't make sense when I say it aloud, I know, but…" he hesitated, maybe trying to find the right words. "I guess I get it. I think inside every one of us, Harrisons Wells, is the same. We just have different life stories, different experiences and we made different choices, but in the end we care about those we love. Maybe even a little bit too much and I'm sure that is exactly why he's so pissed right now. Because he knows that if you go down this road, he may eventually lose you."

Caitlin was silent for a moment, surprised that HR could be this insightful. Then again, she heard enough from other team members of this special gift he seemed to possess. She just hadn't spent any quality time with the man recently. In fact, she hadn't been spending any time with her friends, too busy building her life with Harry on sand. Because how else could she put it? For how long would they pretend everything was fine, that the pendant would be enough to stop Killer Frost, that they could come up with a cure? Maybe they couldn't. Maybe the future _was_ set in stone. And she just couldn't accept that. In fact, she refused to accept that Harrison might lose her, that Barry might lose Iris and – what seemed the worst now, actually – she might lose _herself_. Because that was suddenly the most terrifying thought. It seemed worse than death. Death was a clean cut whereas losing oneself was… unknown territory. The worst fate she could imagine.

In the end, she forced all those thoughts away and just asked HR, "How can you do this? How can you still defend him when he's so mean to you?"

HR shrugged and then smiled at her. "Because I know him. I see myself in him. And I am sure he does the same."

"Oh, I would argue about that."

"You'd be surprised. Maybe that is exactly why he hates me so much." The man winked at her and then stood up. "I think you should look for him. It's time to talk, Caity."

She only nodded with a small smile, watching as he was retreating and marveling at how she could just sit next to him and have this conversation – with a man who looked exactly the same as the one she loved – and, yet, feel nothing for him. The sight of HR's body or his close proximity did nothing to her because it lacked the personality inside. He might be right that all Harrisons in the multiverse had something in common, but she didn't think they were the same. HR simply lacked Harry's character and his eyes, though of the exact same color, did not evoke any powerful feelings in her either. She knew that very moment that she would recognize Harry anywhere and tell apart from any of his doppelgangers just because of this special way he always looked at her.

Eventually, she did go to look for him.

* * *

"Took you long enough," he said.

She was surprised to come across him in the breach room. Once she couldn't find him in the cortex and in his lab, she was forced to check the camera feeds in order to locate him.

"Sorry. I… I guess I needed some time on my own and then…" she hesitated before confessing, "HR came to talk to me."

"Oh, great! Now you two can have your own heart to heart and I'll just leave," Harry immediately complained.

"Harry, seriously, I'm sick of this," Caitlin said, her voice suddenly growing exasperated and angry.

That was enough for him to turn to her with a look of surprise passing through his face.

"I am done hearing all those insults you keep throwing HR's way, ok? It's not cool! And he never retaliates. He just stands there and take it all in and doesn't even feel offended. But you know what? _I_ am offended. So please, start treating the man with some respect. He's staying on the team and sadly, you can't change that fact. Just like I can't change the fact that I love _you_ , ok? So if this is about your insecurity or something, you have nothing to be worried about and this is the last time I'm telling you this."

To her surprise, he didn't yell or even got worked up over what she told him. He just placed his hands on his hips and nodded, his expression defeated.

"Harry," she then started again when coming closer to him and arriving barely inches from him. "I'm sorry. I know how hard it was for you to watch me… um… change… but…"

"Listen, Caitlin," he immediately interrupted her in a tired voice while raising his hands and placing them on her shoulders, looking her in the eye. "It's not that I don't want you to help our friends, ok? Obviously, I do care for them, but you also have to understand what will happen once you do take your necklace off the next time and I won't be able to guide you back. You can't just keep sacrificing yourself and our future together for other people. You can't always be there to save them."

She nodded, letting him know she heard him, but then she just had to say, "Harry, I don't intend to risk using my powers. Today…" she sighed when looking away. "Today we had no choice and you know it." She faced him again. "Iris would've died if I hadn't."

He sighed, too, releasing her from the hold he had on her. "I know. But the thing is… first you went out there to help Barry and we almost lost you. That was one of the scariest moments in my life, Caitlin. And now… you say there won't come another crisis requiring your powers, but there might and I need to know you will not use them. The necklace can't malfunction. The only way for you to turn into _her_ is by taking if off."

She bit the inside of her lips, but then she nodded.

"I won't use them. I promise," she said and he let out a breath of relief.

"Thank you."

"And hey," she said right then with a smile, "that's progress."

"I think we never really had any problems communicating…" he started, but she shook her head at that.

"That's not what I meant. You're not screaming or throwing things around, so _that's_ progress."

He couldn't help but reciprocate the smile, but then he followed with, "That part was over before you came to find me, actually."

"What were you even doing here?" She wanted to know just then when looking around.

He sighed before answering, "It's… Jesse, actually. She sent me a message that she needs me on Earth Two, but I'm torn… I can't just go and leave you…"

"Harry, I'll be fine," she assured him when placing her hands on his chest. "I promise I will not take my necklace off no matter what. Is it serious, though? Is Jesse in trouble?"

"I don't know. Her message was very vague. She just said I was needed in S.T.A.R. Labs on my earth."

"Then go," Caitlin encouraged him. "I wish I could go with, but I think I'm gonna stay and run through the notes you've gathered so far when working with my mother. I may even call her. It's been a while and we promised to keep in touch this time."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I mean… what bad can happen, really?"

And if they only knew _what_ …


	19. Chapter 19

Caitlin truly had no idea how much she enjoyed Harrison's presence, even if he was being a jerk or angry at the time – though she would not be admitting anything of the sort to him anytime soon; until he left for Earth Two. It'd been barely hours since he'd gone and she was already missing him and wondering what he was doing. Ever since he'd come back to be with her, they'd really started to depend on one another and seemed to live in symbiosis now. She wasn't entirely sure this was even healthy, but she was so in love with him that she couldn't care less. In fact, if not counting the Killer Frost hiccup and the dire future they were probably all about to face, she would call their relationship a pretty perfect one. Then again, she shouldn't, really, should she? Because she might jinx it.

"Oh, come on! Lighten up!" she suddenly heard Cisco's voice as he entered the cortex and saw her sitting by her desk alone and brooding. "He'll be back! Besides, don't you think we all ought to have a little break from Harry?"

Caitlin raised her eyebrows at that.

"Break from Harry?" they suddenly heard a voice coming from the entrance and Snow stilled, recognizing it and then realizing her mistake of staying in the cortex. "I just saw HR right there…" Julian pointed the hall he'd just come from.

Caitlin looked at Cisco expectantly. Did the team really forget to inform Julian that there were two Harrisons Wells walking around?

"Oh, hi there. We do seem to keep missing each other, don't we?" the newcomer said when spotting her. "I have to tell you, though, you do look much better without those flashy eyes and…" He came to a sudden stop when glancing at Cisco.

"Dude, I think we talked about this! Social skills!" the guy provided, but evidently, it was too late.

"Anyways… don't you worry. Barry already talked to me and I am not going to press any charges. Your secret is safe with me," Julian assured Caitlin and then walked over to her, reaching his hand to shake hers. "Just to formally introduce myself, Julian Albert."

Snow actually released a breath of relief she had no idea she'd been even holding when forcing a smile to her face and accepting the offering hand.

"You know, if you'd like… I could maybe help with producing the cure for you. Your friend did tell me you were trying to find a way to rid yourself of those powers," Julian immediately followed with when flashing quite a nervous smile her way.

"Thanks, but I think I got it covered."

"I could still contribute with my knowledge somehow. Just give me a call in case you change your mind… Oh, wait, you don't really have my number…"

"Dude!" Cisco called out to the poor guy and shook his head. "I don't know what your game is here, but just in case you were just hitting on her, poorly may I say!, the lady is taken! She's got a boyfriend!"

"Oh… I wasn't… I mean I… She did kidnap me, but it wasn't like that was really her and… yeah, I'll shut up. Good for you. I would be surprised if you were single," Julian turned back to Caitlin.

"Just shut up, will you?" Cisco advised.

Cait was actually amused when imagining the look on Harry's face if he witnessed this scene, but then she immediately saddened, missing him more than ever. God, she really had it bad, hadn't she? Then she spoke, realizing something, "I'm not sure he would appreciate being called a _boyfriend_. It doesn't really suit him," she turned to Cisco. "He prefers life partner."

"He's like not American?" Julian asked, confused.

Both Cait and Cisco burst out laughing.

"Oh, dude, he _is_ American all right, but… a _different_ one at that. God, I'm gonna have so much fun!" Ramon then added and Caitlin frowned at him. "Maybe he should put a ring on that finger of yours already so we could start calling him the fiancé? That would more… _mature_."

Snow's frown only deepened when she realized Cisco was actually making fun of Harrison's age and the fact that Julian had no idea whom she was really dating.

"Ok, that's enough," she said, but was saved anyway but the appearance of the rest of the team.

* * *

Caitlin should have known something was wrong. She should have simply trusted her guts as days were passing by one by one and she still had no messages from Harry. She knew well that it was impossible for him to text her or even e-mail from another Earth, but he should have given her at least a sign that was all right, right? And just when she was finally at the very verge of her patience, ready to ask Cisco to breach her to Earth Two just so she could see Harry and talk to him, she was startled by a breach opening down in the lab. At first she actually felt hope swelling in her heart and happiness, because who else could that be if not Harrison? Harry was apparently coming back to her, so she ran down there with a huge smile on her face, ready to serve him the best greeting she could muster when… Jesse jumped through.

Caitlin came to a sudden stop, confusion settling on her face as she took in the sight of the girl. She looked troubled. And worried.

"Jesse?" she finally found the courage to ask. "Jesse, what's wrong? Where's your dad?" she added, coming closer to the girl, already feeling panic swelling up inside of her as she placed her hands on the girl's shoulders, feeling how tense she was.

"Grodd," was all the young speedster managed to say. "He's taken him! Grodd's got my dad in gorilla city!"

And it truly felt like the ground just disappeared from underneath Caitlin's feet.

* * *

"So… this was what the message was all about? Grodd? Reaching out to S.T.A.R. Labs' owner that is Harrison?" Caitlin gasped, finally having heard Jesse's story. Just a moment ago she'd felt terribly bad for the girl, because HR came out of nowhere and Jesse thought it was Harry, therefore she happily threw herself into his arms before realizing her mistake and ending up even more miserable than before. And now _this_. "How could he be so stupid?! Did he actually answer without getting our help?" Well, ok, for now Caitlin chose to be angry since it tramped being scared for the life of the man she loved. The same man who'd already come up against Grodd once just to save her. Then he'd been risking not only his own life but the life of his daughter that had still been with Zoom. So maybe it was all Caitlin's fault, she suddenly thought. Because she was the one who started it all. She was the one Grodd had wanted before.

"No. He didn't just go to meet with Grodd," Jesse denied, shaking her head. "I called him because his team of specialists already set off to Africa to meet with the gorillas. The encrypted messages were so elaborated, so advanced… we thought the gorillas wanted to make some kind of peace with us… and then, they all went silent, so I called dad and… he grabbed a flight there. The police told him they found dead bodies and then… then he just went silent, too… Oh, God, what if he's…?" Jesse started shaking, clearly scared that Harry might be, indeed, dead and Caitlin couldn't move. She couldn't even go over to the girl and comfort her, because she herself was falling to pieces, her hand going up to her neck and closing around the pendant she'd gotten from Harry, the only thing she had left from him.

"No," Barry denied, very sure of himself. "No, he is not dead. If they went to as much trouble as to get him there, it means he's alive. It means they need him for something and we're gonna go there and bring him back home."

"So I guess you're gonna need someone to open up breaches," Cisco said. "Yeah, what the hell! Sign me up!"

"I'm gonna come, too," Caitlin immediately followed and Barry was just about ready to protest, so she added, "Like it or not, I have a connection with Grodd. He's… fond of me, so maybe I could get through to him if necessary. Besides, I won't just sit around when the man I love is in danger. I want to help however I can."

"Fine," Barry agreed with a sigh, but once Jesse announced she was going to come as well, he finally disagreed, "No, your dad would kill me if I let you and you know it. You have to stay here, Jesse. We got this. Besides, the city's gonna be in a need of a flash while Wally's still in training."

"Wait… Wally has powers now?" Jesse seemed surprised.

Caitlin nodded and then when the boys left to get ready, she took the girl aside.

"Jesse, try not to worry too much, ok?" Cait asked her softly. "I promise you I won't stop until I bring your dad home. I love him, too, so I'd sooner die than lose him, ok? Don't you forget that."

The girl nodded, but she didn't say anything when being so scared and emotional. In the end, Caitlin just gave her a hug. "I promise you," she repeated, praying to God that she would be able to keep that promise for both Jesse's and her own sakes.

* * *

The moment they all arrived on Earth Two, Caitlin felt jittery and nervous out a sudden and adding that to her own fear and worry about Harry definitely wasn't a good combination. And if that wasn't enough, they quickly realized that one of the future newspaper headlines said _City still recovering after gorilla attack_ which could only mean one thing… The gorillas didn't want Harry, nor her. What they wanted was a passage to Earth One so they could attack and conquer and through Harry they probably wanted to attract Cisco who could make it happen. Well, they had to make the trip anyway, so they would just have to be very careful about their every move from now on.

"It's cold for Africa," Caitlin then heard Julian say in surprise and she wondered why he was even there. The moment he'd heard Barry talking about a trip to Earth Two to help save Caitlin's boyfriend, he'd signed up, claiming he wanted to visit another world in the multiverse, so he basically came for sightseeing tour while Harrison's life was in danger. Caitlin could swear that sometimes she wished she'd just frozen him cold when she'd kidnapped him.

"Hey," he just now said, catching up with her and walking right beside her, "I'm sure he's fine, Caitlin. We will rescue him and be on our merry way back home before you know it."

"Clearly, you have never met a telepathic gorilla," she told him through clenched teeth. She was worried sick about Harry and now she had to keep her nerves cool as not to snap at this guy. Sometimes she truly thought she was just too nice and maybe she should tell someone off from time to time. She actually smiled at the memory of her doing that with Harry when he'd refused to accept Jesse's powers. Then the smile immediately faded away, replaced by a terrible longing. So she'd been right this whole time when feeling something was wrong. She should've just gotten Cisco to breach her to Earth Two…

"Hey, stay strong. We'll get him back," Julian chose that moment to say and she was just about to snap at him that she wanted to be alone when… Cisco's detector beeped and Caitlin fastened up her steps, hoping to find something, _someone_ , but in the end she only came to a stop, noticing something lying in the grass and sparkling in the sunlight.

The moment she got down to pick it up, she stilled, recognizing the item. It was Harry's watch. The same that could detect metahumans so he never wore it on Earth One anymore. He must've put it on when making the trip and now… Her eyes started to sting as she ran about a dozen scenarios in her head to why this might be here abandoned, including one in which Harry lost his hand… but that didn't make sense as there was no trace of blood, so that was a relief. At least until…

Something got stuck in her neck and just then they all realized it was a trap.

* * *

They woke up in cages, each in one. Atop of it all, they powers didn't work.

Suddenly, newly found hope entered their hearts as they heard footsteps and… they saw Harrison going down the stairs straight towards them.

Caitlin's heart thumped widely as she threw herself forward, grabbing the bars as though she could open the cage with a light push, smiling brightly at the man, searching for the familiar blues of his eyes and saying his name followed by, "You're all right!"

Only just that very moment she knew he wasn't all right at all simply because despite the knowledge that this was her Harry and not some other doppelganger of his, his eyes didn't look at her the way they always did. He must've been taken over by Grodd and she saddened again, already thinking hard on how to get the gorilla to let him go.

"Wells!" Barry called out. "Let us out!"

So far Cait seemed to be the only one able to tell the difference.

"Wait… _this_ is Caitlin's boyfriend?!" they suddenly heard Julian's shocked voice. "But… but…"

,

"Dude, shut up!" Cisco told him and Caitlin couldn't be more grateful for that, though she was kind of mad at her best friend for still not enlightening Julian that her partner was Harrison Wells from Earth Two.

"You neglected to mention _that_! And… and he's so…"

"I swear Julian, one more word and I finish what I started," Caitlin suddenly whirled around to look at him, "and this time it will be more than just a small frostbite on your hand."

Her words did render the guy silent. In fact, they shocked the remaining two friends of hers as well, but then again, they suspected someone might eventually lose their patience when it came to Julian. They just didn't think it'd be Caitlin. Although when considering the circumstances…

Just then Grodd started talking through Harrison's mouth; every word, every look piercing Snow's heart since she desperately wanted to get the man she loved back, but she knew she needed to be careful so the gorilla wouldn't hurt him…

* * *

Caitlin could swear the last hour was one of the worst in her entire life. And she'd been through a pretty large amount of worsts. Watching Harry's body being used and abandoned by Grodd so haphazardly was not _the_ worst she'd been through, but it was pretty damn close, because every time she was scared the gorilla might cause some permanent damage to Harrison's mind or flesh.

The moment Grodd seemed to have finally abandoned the body of the love of her life, she immediately got down to the ground, checking for pulse and running her hands all over his body in search of any possible injuries. She was relieved to have found none besides a few scratches here and there on his face. He might have bruises, too, but those were easily treated as well. Then, she had no means of scanning his brain and that was the hardest. She had to wait and see if he woke up and…

She finally breathed out in relief when he moved and eventually opened his eyes, somehow finding hers right away and focusing on them. Next thing she knew, there was a look of surprise passing through his face and he finally gasped, " _Snow_?"

"Are you all right?" she immediately followed with, leaning forward and hugging him tightly. "Oh, my God, Harry, I was so scared!" she gasped right then, tightening her hold on him so she could feel him closer, ignoring the fact that he didn't seem all that fresh. She actually couldn't care less. She was just happy he seemed fine.

He finally managed to sit, though her arms were still around him, so he embraced her as well, breathing her in, his body shaking slightly from the exhaustion and exertion of those past few days.

"I can't believe you're here," he finally said when they let go of each other and she helped him up, immediately taking his hand in hers. "You're all here," he added, looking at Barry and Cisco. "And _you_." He then pointed Julian in surprise. "What are you doing here exactly? Last time I checked you didn't have powers."

"Last time I checked there was only one Harrison Wells in the Labs," the man retaliated, folding his arms over his chest.

"And should you be informed of everything and everyone _why_ exactly?" Harry just asked with a frown. He could feel Caitlin's hand tightening on his, so he put one of his arms around her, pressing her into his side. "Which still doesn't answer the question…"

"I live for danger, all right?" the answer finally came and Harry raised his eyebrows before turning to Cisco and Barry and thanking them for coming.

"I don't think you should be here, Snow," he then faced the woman he loved again.

"I couldn't not come. Besides, it's Grodd. I had to try and get through to him."

"Because it worked so great the last time you did?" Harry just asked and suddenly, there was this meaningful smile on Snow's face.

"Remember how _you_ came for me back then? I think I'm finally able to return the favor."

"You did that when you saved my life after Spivot shot me," he immediately reminded her.

"Guys, this really isn't the time for romance," Cisco interrupted just then and Julian backed him up to which Harry killed the second with his glare.

* * *

They managed to escape in the end, coming back to Earth One barely inches from being detained by gorillas that were chasing them. Yet, once their feet touch the floor in S.T.A.R. Labs and once Jesse came running and throwing herself into Harry's arms, none of it felt like a victory. In fact, there was suddenly this heavy weight on both Caitlin's and Harry's shoulders, a broken promise that they'd both agreed on because there was no other way. Still, it was hanging in the air like a cancer just about ready to eat them.

In fact, Caitlin didn't even dare look Harry in the eye and she didn't talk to him about what happened all the way back to their apartment. They made sure Jesse was all right and the girl did say she needed to catch up on a very much needed sleep. Snow even offered her couch, but Jesse wanted to stay in her old Labs' room. Besides, she did have some things she wanted to talk to Wally about. And Harry didn't even bat an eye, which was another strange occurrence when it came to the would-be wouldn't-be relationship between his daughter and West's kid.

That was pretty much enough to put Cait on the edge and made her fear what was to come once she and Harry got home.

When entering her apartment – or maybe she should start calling it _their_ apartment? – they were beyond exhausted, yet didn't head off straight to sleep. Harrison moved to the bathroom and soon enough she heard the hum of running water. When it came to her, she just felt cold. In fact, she'd been feeling strangely cold ever since she'd put the necklace back on her neck after promising him she would never take it off. But they had no choice and they both knew it. Maybe that was the worst part. That he had to allow her to do it. That he had to actually _agree_ that it was either that or be killed. He had to come home to his daughter and they couldn't drag Cisco and Barry and even Julian to the grave with them. It wouldn't be fair.

Nothing in life ever was, Caitlin thought, saddening and hoping this cold she felt had nothing to do with her powers.

Next thing she knew, she just couldn't stand this situation any longer and her legs simply took her to the bathroom where she rid of her own clothes, by now shaking as she stepped naked into the shower. Harrison was still there, standing with his back to her, bracing one of his hand against the tiled wall of the shower, the hot stream of water running down his head and back.

"You never let me examine you properly after we came back," she said just to start the conversation.

"I'm fine," he dismissed her concern and the normal tone of his voice was a relief to her. "Besides, see for yourself," he then added when turning around and her eyes immediately trailed down his chest, his stomach, groin… she finally felt it – _heat_ – and she welcomed it as she stepped forward and pressed herself into his chest, hugging him tightly, enjoying his hot naked skin against her own.

"I'm sorry I had to do it again," she eventually said in a small voice, their position unchanged. "I'm sorry I had to use my powers." Grodd had blocked both Cisco's and Barry's powers, but luckily or unluckily for them, he had no idea Caitlin possessed her own as well.

"I don't want to talk about it," his answer was simple, surprising and then his hold on her tightened, his lips traced a delicate line along her neck, his tongue sweeping over the skin there.

"But, Harry…"

"I know there was no choice and honestly, I don't know how to handle that knowledge. I'm scared, Snow. I'm scared for our future," he confessed as his lips kept on kissing her skin in between his words.

"I won't do it again. I will _not_ use them again," she promised anyway and then he finally found her mouth, his tongue sliding inside immediately, his lips kissing her deeply, explicitly. She felt him harden against her nearly at instance, her hands trailing down his back to cup the flesh of his buttocks. She still needed the heat, she thought then and she didn't want to leave the shower just yet, so she gave him a hint when turning around and bracing herself against the wall. He got the idea, cupping and massaging her breasts as she reached behind for him and guided him inside, moaning as he filled her in all the way and started moving in and out. She needed this, she needed him, she needed them together. As simply as it sounded. She didn't want complicated. She just wanted the two of them, running away together, living somewhere far, far away in a small village and enjoying the simplest of lives. In the same time she knew they could never have it and it hurt more than she thought it would. She had him now, they were together for better and worse and yet, it still didn't seem like enough just because there was this cloud of doom hanging above their heads. She didn't want this to end. She didn't want to lose herself, to lose him. Yet, it seemed so inevitable now that she felt like she was choking.

She came around him powerfully with one of his last strokes. He pushed inside of her a few more times and then froze, holding onto her hips, reaching his own peak. And then she just turned around and buried her head in his chest, never wanting their life to change for worse.

"Come. You need rest," she eventually told him, turning the hot water off and leading him out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.

"Doctor's orders?" he tried for a lighter tone.

"I don't like those circles under your eyes. You're exhausted, Harry. In fact, after today we both need our rest."

He had half a mind to tease her about those circles, telling her she probably didn't like them because it made him look old, but eventually he decided against it, sensing the mood she was in. And it wasn't good.

In the end, all he could do was to hold her as they were falling asleep and to tell her that he loved her.

* * *

When Caitlin woke up the next day, she discovered Harry was still asleep by her side, his arm put around her in a possessive gesture. She watched his face for a moment, feeling so sorry for what he'd had to go through in gorilla city and glad that it was finally over, that they all came back from there alive.

Eventually, she had to stop, though, because she really needed to pee, so she slowly extricated herself from his arms, seeing that he shifted to her side of the bed when she left it, hugging her pillow. She smiled at the sight and finally disappeared in the bathroom.

Once she came back, she just came to a stop, watching his sleeping figure. He seemed so vulnerable as he slept. In fact, he even seemed younger as all the lines on his face smoothed out, showing off his blissful for now relaxation. Well, at least before he opened his eyes and realized there was still so much to do. And would probably always be when it came to working with the team. Caitlin was just scared that because of their job she would one day lose him and that would be the end of her. Or maybe it would be the other way around since recently that seemed more plausible. If this was always going to be their life, she suddenly wondered, if it was always going to be fraught with danger, would they ever be strong enough to just leave? To move somewhere else, somewhere peaceful and quiet? To maybe raise kids of their own? Though he already had one and she had no idea whether he would be open to the idea of more with her, how he would even react if she brought it up.

Not that she even could, she realized and sudden pain shot through her again. She could never even dream of getting pregnant, not with Killer Frost still breathing down her neck. There was even no point in talking about it, because she couldn't know what those powers of hers could do to a powerless baby.

Great, she barely stared her day and already felt like crying.

In the end, she shook her head and headed to the kitchen, ready to make some breakfast and brew some coffee. Ready for another crazy day at work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I may have just found a plot hole because how on earth Cait's powers worked whereas Barry's and Cisco's didn't? I went with the only explanation here that came to mind.


	20. Chapter 20

When Caitlin woke up the next morning, Harry was still sound asleep by her side, so she gently removed his arm that was draped around her and left the bedroom soundlessly, taking a fresh pair of clothes on her way.

Sometime later after breakfast already eaten and coffee drunk, she glanced at the clock and decided to let Harrison sleep as long as he needed to since he must've been exhausted after everything that had happened in Gorilla City. She kind of felt guilty for tiring him even more with sex in the shower, but after all, he'd already been hard and ready, so how on earth could she actually deny both him and herself _that_?

In the end, she prepared a plate full of delicious sandwiches for him to eat once he got up and left it on the kitchen table with a note that she was at work and he was welcomed to join her whenever he was ready.

She was so preoccupied with thinking about what he must've been through both with the gorillas and herself using her powers again that she was shocked when she finally walked into the Labs and discovered it was actually Valentine's Day. She forgot what date it was, but then again, it was no wonder, truly, with everything she'd had to deal recently. Maybe with everything they all had to deal.

Few more minutes at work and Cait was able to guess that it was HR who'd prepared everything and decorated the speed lab. Cisco informed her that they wouldn't let the man go overboard with the cortex and then he relayed all the things she'd missed so far, including HR giving away VD cards and Gypsy dropping by, clearly under the influence of Grodd.

 _Go figure_ , Snow nearly sighed, feeling completely resigned as she fell into her chair by her work station. Recently, they just seemed to jump from one crisis to another without even dealing properly with the first.

Then she finally spotted it. A Valentine's Day card lying on her desk.

She reached for it in curiosity, knowing that it couldn't be from Harry as he'd spent the better part of the week on Earth Two, trapped in Gorilla City, so he couldn't have possibly remembered about this day. And quite frankly, even if he did, she didn't expect anything from him. He didn't seem the type who would go all romantic today and she wouldn't even like him to. She always stood by the notion that once you had love in your life, you just didn't forget it, so you didn't need to try especially hard that one day in a year. It was stupid and pointless and…

She burst out laughing when she read the card.

_Doctor, there's something wrong with my heart. Can you take a look?_

_It beats really fast…_

_It does. For_ you _._ Always.

_Yours, Harry._

"What does yours say?" Cisco immediately asked when making his way to her and reading over his shoulder. "Harry? Yeah, right," he snorted.

Caitlin looked up to meet HR's eyes across the cortex.

"What?" he asked her, pretending to be the innocent party there. "I was just as surprised as you are right now! Who knew?! This guy and me actually have a lot in common!"

"What is going on here?" just then they heard Harry's voice coming from the door and HR suddenly disappeared.

Caitlin, still smiling, left the card on her table and got up, walking over to her man and wrapping her arms around him.

"Are you ok?" she asked him softly when pulling away a moment later, not really wanting to make a scene in public.

"Sure. I've had a great night of sleep with one small minus that you weren't there when I woke up," he followed with a complain. "Breakfast kind of make up for it, though. Thank you," he added in a much softer voice.

"My pleasure," she assured him and watched him go over to her desk and pick up the card. He immediately frowned.

"What the hell is this?" he asked gruffly.

"It's Valentine's Day," Cisco provided with the information when patting the older man's back before coming back to his own work station.

"Yeah, so what? It's a stupid holiday," Harry responded right away. "And I didn't write this… this…" He was looking at the card in his hand in disgust. "I don't even know if the word cheesy qualifies here. This is just… awful!" He let go of it as though he couldn't bear holding it any longer.

"Oh, come on!" Caitlin said. "It's funny! And I obviously know it's not from you. HR probably wanted to do something nice for the both us of, knowing perfectly well you wouldn't send me any card."

Harry sent her a confused look.

"Did you want me to?"

"No," she assured him. "Don't you worry. When it comes to Valentine's Day, we're definitely on the same page."

"That's good to know." He nodded in relief. "HR's an idiot."

"So you keep saying." Caitlin sighed heavily.

In that moment, Jesse walked into the cortex with Wally and on seeing Harry there, she asked whether they could talk.

Caitlin looked from the younger couple to Harrison and then watched them go as he offered his lab.

"This won't end well, will it?" she just asked when only she and Cisco remained in the cortex.

"Most definitely not," she was surprisingly answered by HR who came right back. She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering whether he was avoiding Harry or maybe – and that didn't sit well with her at all – his wrath. "In fact," HR continued, "young Wallace asked Jesse Quick to move to this earth to be with him."

"He did?" Caitlin opened her eyes widely, but then again, if Harrison could do such a thing for her, his daughter most definitely could follow his footsteps as well. It would actually be nice, Snow thought, having the girl here, the whole family together. Harry's reaction to Jesse's relationship that had so suddenly grown serious, though, was another story and she knew she had to go and talk to him afterwards to make sure he didn't treat Wally all that bad. Or… ah, who was she kidding?

"Oh, and Francisco, Gypsy is awake," HR then informed, so Cisco quickly disappeared.

"You think it's safe to go and find Harry now?" Caitlin asked the older man, bored with waiting for nothing in particular.

"No," the answer came. "Even if the talk is all done, he's bound to be pissed."

"Well, he's mine, so I'm gotta go." Cait shrugged. "I have no fear when it comes to his moods!"

"You're apparently the only one! And maybe Francisco…"

* * *

"Is the air cleared already? Is it safe to come in?" Caitlin asked playfully from the open door to Harry's lab, seeing him tinkering with something and only him. Jesse and Wally were already gone.

"Very funny, Snow," he said when putting the device gently aside and facing her as she made her way to him and then sat herself right in his laps, her arms going around his neck.

"Are you ok?" she asked him.

"I take it you know already what that talk was all about." He sighed, resting his forehead against her own, his breath hot on her face. "You know…" he then started again when pulling away a little to be able to look at her, "I do want her by my side. In fact, I couldn't be happier if she were here so I could keep an eye on her, but…" Another sigh followed.

"She's a grown up, Harry. You don't need to mind her every other second. She's bound to go on with her life eventually and make her own choices, sometimes even mistakes."

"So being with Wally is a mistake?" he immediately picked up on that.

Caitlin blinked a few times in surprise. "I did not say that! Do _you_ think it is?"

"I know she's a grown up. I do… It's just… I didn't think that the day I would have to let her go would come so fast."

"I thought you already did that," Caitlin seemed confused. "When you moved here."

"That was different and now… now she's so serious about West that it actually scares me," he confessed, tightening his hold on Snow.

"Wally is a good kid, Harry."

"I know, I just… ah, so much is changing."

"Change is good," she still argued, trying to make him feel better.

"Not when it's bad!" he immediately retaliated, seeming all jittery to her that day. And exactly that fact prompted her to say, "Harry, maybe we should talk about what happened in Gorilla City?" she suggested, placing her hands on his nape, brushing the soft hair there in a soothing gesture.

To her surprise, he closed his eyes in frustration. "I don't want to!" he nearly snapped before taking a deep, ragged breath and steadying himself. "I'm sorry," he immediately apologized to her, meeting her eyes. "I just don't want to talk about it, ok? It happened and now it's done. We're both here and safe. At least for now," he added reluctantly. "I'm not HR, ok? So don't expect me to suddenly start opening up about my _feelings._ It should be enough that I already have regarding those I have for _you_."

"Ok," she acknowledged with a nod, letting it go. She had to accept this since she knew she wouldn't convince him to do otherwise. It was his choice, so in the end she just rested her forehead against his and then got even closer, finding his lips and kissing him slowly and lovingly.

"Just remember I'm always here for you, Harry," she assured him when hugging him tightly, enjoying the hold he had on her.

"Thank you, Snow, for being so understanding."

"Always." She smiled against the skin of his neck and then suddenly jerked upright, him barely managing to keep her steady as they heard an alarm. "That's so not a good sign," she sighed and they both got up to head to the cortex.

* * *

A couple of hundreds gorilla reaching the city and one disabled nuclear missile later, they were gathered together, facing, yet, another crisis with said gorillas ready to attack.

"How much time do we have before they reach us?" they heard Barry through the comms; him, Jesse and Wally already there on the scene, awaiting Cisco who'd gone to Earth Nineteenth to try and convince Gypsy to help.

"Two minutes, Barry!" HR answered cheerfully.

"Two minutes?!" Harry snapped at him. "Twelve seconds! Can't you even tell time?!"

"Twelve seconds, Barry!" HR corrected, seeming to be completely unaffected by Harry, but Caitlin frowned, wondering whether he was just being a good actor. She was really sick of this and Harry had kind of promised to lay off HR, hadn't he already?

Few painful jabs later and a successful handle of the gorilla situation, she couldn't stand this anymore and she suddenly erupted, rending everyone present in the cortex speechless.

"Harry, just stop!" The man in question shot her a look, his mouth opening. "HR doesn't deserve this constant treatment from your side and I won't have it! I am just about done and sick of it!"

"Cait," HR said, "it's ok, really."

She couldn't believe he was actually defending Harry!

"No, HR, is it _not_!" she screamed even louder.

Harry just stood there when still not saying anything and eventually, he just turned around and left the cortex.

"Oh, no!" Caitlin called after him as she followed suit, seeing Cisco cringe slightly at the corner of her eye. "You will not walk away from me! This is no ok, Harry! I respect you and I love you and I accept you for who you are, but this…" she stopped for a moment, shaking her head, "this is going beyond the usual level of acceptance! This is bullying! And guess what?! You will not bully him to leave, because newsflash! He has nowhere to go! He's staying here whether you like it or not and may I remind you that the team didn't want _you_ around either at the beginning! And yet now they're grateful for you! _I am_ grateful for you!"

She finally reached him by the elevators where he had nowhere to run anymore, clearly not eager to take the stairs.

"Well, it most certainly doesn't seem like you are now," he pointed out calmly when folding his arms over his chest, yet not turning to face her just yet.

She was still having none of it, so she did that herself, arriving directly in front of him.

"What's with the attitude?" she had to ask, looking up at him and finding his expression strange and detached. "This really goes beyond your usual load of crap, Harry."

"My usual…" he came to a stop. "What?!"

"I'm talking about your normal behavior. I know that sometimes it leaves a lot to desire, but I never minded. You were always different with me. I always loved you for who you were, but recently… what's wrong? Just please, tell me, because I don't get it. You either insult someone or scream at them and I'm starting to be sick of it."

She was waiting patiently for him to speak up again, watching for his reaction to her words and yet, finding his face unchanged. Until he blatantly confessed, "I just can't lose you, ok?" his voice grew raw. "I won't…" he came to a stop, jerking his head aside when running a shaky hand over his mouth. "I won't survive if something happens to you and it seems inevitable at this point."

"Well, I am sorry that this relationship has been so hard on you," she said to his astonishment and his mouth was left hanging open, yet, once again, expression faltering. Because this was so not what he expected to hear from her. Then again, she'd already told him everything she had to say about this particular matter. She ran out of ideas.

Next, the poker face he was trying so hard to hold onto broke and she saw his eyes shining with fresh tears. Tears that he was ashamed of, so he immediately looked away.

"Harry, I'm so sorry," she immediately apologized, reaching for his hand, but he jerked it right back, which broke her heart. Had she actually gone too far? "I'm sorry for saying that. I'm sorry for a lot of things," she continued anyway. "I'm sorry for getting so close to you," once she started, though, she couldn't stop because maybe she truly was. She was the reason he moved to this earth, she was the reason to his heart, once mended, breaking again. She was scared he wouldn't manage to pull himself together this time. "I'm sorry for making you stay here with me and watch… watch this… this change happening to me."

"No, that…" he started and stopped, his hand going up to his face to quickly wipe on a stray tear there before he met her eyes bravely. "I would never take anything back, Snow, you know that. I wouldn't trade a moment with you for anything," he assured her. "You are my life."

"Well, maybe I shouldn't be."

" _What_? What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Why was she doing this to him right now? He thought in panic. What did she mean by all of this? She wouldn't just push him away, would she?

"Maybe you should learn how to love yourself for a change?" she then suggested and he was just staring at her, stupefied. "I mean… try see in yourself what I see in you. Be happy… for you?"

"There is no happy future for me, not without you," he insisted. "Where is all of this even coming from?"

"I just don't want to leave you hurting in the end. I don't want suffering for you, Harry. It's all."

His hands reached to her and rested on her shoulders as he told her, "Well, it's too late for that. We're in this together. That's just love, Caitlin. It's not always about happy moments. Sometimes it hurts and it's all right, because that's life. It's true that you don't really need anyone to be happy, but…" he sighed just then, taking his hands away, running one of them through his hair before resting them on his hips, "but that only works when you have no romantic feelings for anyone around you," he continued, meeting her eyes again. "Once you meet the right person, all that positive philosophy and attitude towards life, it just evaporates because you become one with that person and without them…" he shook his head, a vulnerable look appearing in his eyes, "without them you're nothing."

"I get that, Harry, I do and I feel the same," she assured him when reaching for his hands again and this time feeling relieved that he let her take them, "but you keep working yourself up over our future, so maybe you'd be better off without me." She was crying by now, breaking their hearts for nothing. What was she even trying to accomplish? She started wondering, not seeing any sense in this anymore. She didn't want to push him away. She _needed_ him, because without him she knew she wouldn't be able to go on like this. The problem was that she was also causing him so much pain and she wanted to desperately make it better.

He suddenly pulled her in, sweeping her into his arms, his hold on her tight. Maybe a little too tight, but she didn't mind.

"I love you," he simply said. "I love you so much that what you're implying isn't an option anymore. There is no future for me without you in it, do you hear me?" he told her, pulling away just then and placing small kisses all over her face, tasting her tears until he finally stopped at her lips. "I promise not to make fun of HR ever again, though," he then said when moving away, his hands still on her shoulders. "I promise to behave around him. Just… we need to work together, Snow. I know we can beat this. With your mother's help and both of our own expertise, we can fix you. You and me against the word. _Always_. What do you say?"

"You and me against fate," she corrected him, smiling through her tears.

He nodded, reaching his hand to her face and wiping the drops away.

"I'm sorry. I'll do better from now on," he assured her. "I won't keep unloading my own personal frustrations about the cure that we can't seem to fully figure out on anyone."

She nodded again, taking one of his hands and giving it a little squeeze. "Good," she followed with. "And please, stop thinking that whatever the future news headlines said will happen. It's the future. We aren't there yet, so everything can still change."

This time it was his turn to nod.

"And no getting yourself kidnapped by the gorillas anymore!" she threatened in a joking tone just to see him smile.

"Wait a moment, dr. Snow, if I recall correctly, it was _you_ who got yourself kidnapped by a gorilla before."

"Oh, damn it, you're so right, dr. Wells! Then we're even, I guess." She grinned at him.

"I love when you call me dr. Wells… especially in bed," he followed with after a moment.

"Oh, no! None of that! You're still in the doghouse, mister!"

"What?! But I just…"

"No," she cut him short. "No, you did not. There's still one more thing you need to do for me!"

* * *

The things Harry had to do to please the woman he loved! He thought, having the sudden urge to just roll his eyes when he actually did apologize to HR – or maybe coming as close as he could to a real apology anyway. Now the whole team was making fun of _him_ , trying not to laugh when hearing him awkwardly addressing his deeply pleased doppelganger. The hug that followed repulsed Harry completely, but he bore it, just doing it all for Snow. He counted on some extra bed time with her, though. Well, ok, it didn't necessary have to be in _bed_. He could just… But then he reminded himself that him apologizing to HR couldn't merit Snow making it up to him, because the apology itself was making something up _to her_. Damn it! He was so screwed! And the team wouldn't let him live through it!

Luckily for him, Gypsy served Cisco such a shockingly hot goodbye that they all quickly forgot about Harry's awfully awkward apologies to HR.

Sometimes Ramon had a really good timing.


	21. Chapter 21

"I did it. I was the one who saved the piece and I am not going to apologize for it," the team heard Harry admit as he was just standing there in the middle of the cortex, confessing to his crime without batting an eye.

This had been a tough couple of days. At first they'd actually been happy, having something to celebrate with Iris announcing her and Barry's engagement. Yet, whereas Caitlin was all giddy and happy for the pair, Harry simply said his congratulations without breaking a smile, just watching the team dancing around the couple and gushing over the ring. Especially Jesse. And how much he hated that his daughter was all over the place, not able to get enough of the ring, because if that meant that she wanted to follow into Iris's footsteps… well, it was easy to assume that would be happening after Harrison's dead body! It was still hard for him to get used to the fact that his little girl was a woman now and apparently a one that could date and fall in love and actually _look for a place together_ with Wally. No, he refused to think about it.

Only then he had to put his bad feelings about West kid aside because the kid actually turned out to have been having visions of Savitar haunting him for days. Or wait… Harry thought, scratch _that_ since Wally was clearly putting his daughter in _danger_ when not telling her the whole truth! If that wasn't enough, the team started suspecting that Savitar was making appearances again just because something must've been left from the stone Barry had thrown into the speedforce, therefore making that unexpected trip into the future and ruining all of their lives even more. Harrison sometimes wondered whether it would better for them if they didn't know what was going to happen, then again, they wouldn't be able to stop any of it…

One could truly get a headache from all of this.

And now Harrison chose to confess to his mistake. Though, if he were to be honest, he was still skeptical that just because he'd kept a piece, Savitar could haunt Wally now.

"No," Caitlin broke the stunned silence just then as she walked over to her man and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "We both did. We both made the decision to keep the piece."

"But… why?" Barry could only gasp, surprised by this turn of events. And he wasn't the only one.

Harrison shot Caitlin an annoyed look. He wanted to take the fall alone, but she just wouldn't let him.

"We thought it might help us come up with a cure for Snow," he settled for explaining in the end since what was done seemed to be just done. "And for what it's worth, I really don't think this caused Savitar…"

"How about you just don't think from now on?" Barry got angry, resting his hands on his hips and he started pacing around the cortex, trying to come up with a way out of this mess.

"We're sorry," Caitlin tried calming the team down and Harrison glared at her.

"Snow, don't. You don't have to apologize to anyone. We did what we thought was right!"

"Yeah, and kept it from the team!" Iris raised her voice at that.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Cisco got up from his seat and walked to the middle of the room, reaching his hands out. "Let's stop pointing fingers here, ok? The damage is done! We need to get over ourselves and…"

Only that moment Wally and HR came running, an angry expression on the first man's face.

"Where were you going to tell us?!" Wally attacked Barry.

"Wally, what are you…?"

"Why don't you tell my sister?! Come on! Tell her the real reason you proposed!"

"Um… Snow, I think this is our cue…" Harrison said to his partner and then pulled her towards the exit. "I knew it was going way too fast!" he them murmured under his breath as the rest of the conversation reached them.

"Barry and Iris have been in love with each other forever," Caitlin still tried to defend the couple as they found themselves in her lab.

"No, that's not true," Harry immediately denied when folding his arms over his chest as he watched her go over to her desk and pick up her cure project again. "Allen has, but not West. If I recall correctly…"

"Ok, I get it," Caitlin stopped him right there, choosing to actually make her way back to him and place her hands on his chest, one of them covering his heart. "Does it really matter, though? It's their problems. We have our own."

"So much about working with the team."

"Well, I don't see how helpful they can actually be in my case since none of them knows anything about biochemistry. Besides, they're…"

"…focused on saving West, I know." Harry sighed, closing his eyes briefly before meeting hers again and cupping her face. "But I'm here, Snow. And I am _never_ going to give up. My priority will always be saving you, because you and Jesse, you come first. No exceptions."

She smiled at him, grateful that somehow they'd managed to find one another, that of all the worlds in the multiverse and of the Harrison Wellses out there, this one made his way to her. If that didn't scream fate, then she didn't know what did. In the end, she did the only thing she could, she moved forward and kissed him lovingly on the lips, showing him how much she appreciated all of it and how glad she was they were on the same page and done fighting.

* * *

In the end, nothing worked up well.

It started with Wally stealing the piece Harry and Caitlin had kept and going to find Savitar all by himself, which resulted in him actually freeing the monster from his prison that was the speedforce. As it turned out, by keeping the piece of the stone Harry and Caitlin had actually _helped_ and not the other way around, but it didn't seem to matter now anyways as Wally was gone and Savitar was running free.

One disaster followed another and while Harry and Caitlin tended to heartbroken Jesse, Barry broke up with Iris, thinking this was the best way to keep his head in the game and he made the decision to go to the speedforce himself to bring Wally back.

* * *

First Eddie – which was enough to shake him, by the way – and now Caitlin? Barry frowned when hearing her sing and as he came closer, he finally spotted her, holding a baby in her arms.

For a moment he actually forgot why he was even in the speedforce, too shocked with what he was seeing. As he closed the distance separating him from his friend, there was no mistake, his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Caitlin was really holding a new born in her arms and judging by the way she was singing to him or her, it was _her_ baby.

"Is that…?" Barry finally asked out loud, not able to take his eyes away from this beautiful and defenseless little creature.

"No. It is not mine," he suddenly heard a voice coming from behind him and he immediately whirled around, facing Ronnie.

Go figure, he thought, not even surprised at this point by the man's appearance. The speedforce seemed to be bent on torturing him by showing him the faces of all the people who died for him. He just hoped Caitlin wouldn't soon join them. Then again, her destiny was to become Killer Frost and exactly that they needed to change, right? He just couldn't understand how a baby fit into this equation. He suspected she might've been pregnant before with Ronnie and lost it, but the man himself just said that it wasn't his baby. That only left…

"So it's Harry's," Barry guessed.

"All those sacrifices the people closest to you make for you, Barry…" Ronnie started, slowly approaching the speedster. "You can't let them do the same. She's finally happy and with someone completely right for her. Them being close to you, it's just another threat to that happiness and you know it. They will never be fully free of danger as long as they're with you. There's been enough of suffering in Caitlin's life and you have to be sure there won't be more. Otherwise… the outcome _will_ be disastrous."

* * *

"Something's wrong," Caitlin immediately picked up on as they were all gathered up in the breach room, monitoring Barry's vitals ever since he'd entered the speedforce. "We have to pull him out! Cisco!" she called out to her friend, but all she saw on his face was slight surprise followed by pain and then denial.

"I… I can't. His header is gone. I can't pull him out."

Before they even managed to digest that information, HR came running and he stopped right next to Harry, looking at the man with a fearful expression on his face, his hand going up to scratch on his head.

"Um… before you say anything, Harry… I actually did try to stop her and… she knocked me out. I just now came to and…"

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked his doppelganger, trying to be calm about it, because after all, he had promised Snow to behave.

"Jesse," HR explained then. "She went after Savitar."

"She did _what_?!" the other Wells eventually erupted.

"I stood in her way! I wanted to stop her and she knocked me out!" HR repeated. "There's no time for anger right now, Harry. We gotta go grab the comms and make sure she's fine!"

"How can she be fine if she went up against Savitar?!"

Suddenly, there was a hand on Harry's arm and he turned to see Caitlin standing by his side, looking up at him with a soft expression in her eyes.

"Go," she encouraged him. "Go with HR. We'll be fine here. We don't need you right now. Go and help Jesse."

In the end, the man just nodded, then swallowed hard and ran after HR to the cortex.

The moment he reached his work station, though, he couldn't contain his anger anymore. He turned the comms on and screamed, "Jesse?! Jesse, come right back!"

"Dad?!" there was surprise evident in the girl's voice, but right now all Harry cared about was that she was all right. "I can't believe HR told you!"

"Well, to be fair, you did kind of knock him out," Harry said, cocking his head aside and risking a glance at his doppelganger.

"Yeah… and I'm sorry for that. He better not stand in my way again!"

"I won't!" HR assured, which in Harry's opinion wasn't helpful at all. "What? Do you have any idea how much it sucked?" he turned to Harry who just rolled his eyes.

"You know, Jesse," he actually tried to speak calmly to her because he knew his daughter. The angrier he was with her, the less chance he had that she would listen, just choosing to rebel, "any other time I'd say HR probably deserved this, but not this one." Harry could see out of the corner of his eye as HR, clearly touched, put his hand to his heart in a theatrical gesture, which only merited another eye roll. "I need you to come back."

"It's too late. He's already here."

There was sudden feeling of panic welling up inside of Wells and truly, he had no idea what to do. Jesse wasn't as experienced as Barry was and even Allen himself had barely walked out of his last encounter with Savitar alive. In fact, from both of his encounters and each time it only got worse. How could his daughter possibly… Harry palled, feeling his mouth going dry and thinking that after all this time, after actually saving her from Zoom, after getting her back from _that,_ he couldn't just lose her now. He had enough of problems trying to keep Snow alive and well and now he had to do that with his baby girl, too?!

To his surprise, it was HR who actually rose to the challenge, figuring out that Savitar needed his armor because apparently, he was human underneath it, so Jesse delivered a lucky blow and managed to escape.

When that happened, Harry felt like a deflated balloon, all the tension escaping him, leaving him completely exhausted, his nerves in shreds.

He then looked at HR and nodded at him, "Thank you," he finally said, though it was extremely hard for him to acknowledge any kind of help from the man. Still, he wasn't as heartless as people pegged him for and even he had to admit that HR had helped a lot.

"Oh, that's so sweet, Harry! Glad to be at service!" HR chirped and before poor Harry knew what was going on, he was swept into his doppelganger's arms.

Next thing he knew as he awkwardly stood there, waiting for this horror to be over, he heard his daughter's laughter coming from the door.

"Really, dad, this is truly something I thought I'd never see," she provoked him, but he couldn't care less at the moment, actually. He pushed HR away and ran to her to hug her, happy she was back safe and sound. Before he started giving her a piece of his mind, that was…

* * *

In the end, they knew getting everyone back all right from the speedforce would be too much to ask for, that it wouldn't be that easy. So it was Jay Garrick who actually pulled Barry out of there and took Wally's place. The plan was to save him after they dealt with Savitar. Provided they'd be anyone left on the team to do that, Harry thought pessimistically, for once grateful that Jesse chose to leave. He could've sworn that Allen was looking at him weird ever since he'd returned, but maybe that was just because someone told him he and HR actually worked together and didn't kill one another. Or maybe for that matter, that Harry didn't kill his doppelganger. There was no other explanation, so he let it slide for now. After all, he had a daughter to say goodbye to.

"You know, I am actually thrilled that you're leaving and it's not that I don't want you here. I just want you _safe_ ," he emphasized when saying his goodbye to her. "If Savitar has plans for you… it's better for you to be far, far away. I just… Maybe I wish you just came back home instead of leaving for Earth 3."

"Home is too easy, dad," Jesse argued. "He can find me there. Besides, Earth 3 needs a speedster now to protect it, so that's what I'm going to do."

Harry sighed before saying, "Well, I guess it's as close to being safe as we can get now, isn't it?" He pulled her into a hug. "Be careful, ok? And if you run into any trouble, don't hesitate to ask for help. We may be busy here, but no matter how crazy things can get, we will always run to you if you need us."

"I know, dad. I'll be fine," Jesse assured him and then she turned to Cait.

"Thank care of yourself, Jesse, ok?" Snow asked her and also gave her a hug. "I'll miss you."

"You, too, Caitlin. Stay safe. I'm sure everything will be all right as long as you all work together," Jesse responded and then proceeded to saying goodbye to Wally.

Harry moved closer to Snow to put an arm around her, pressing her into his side. He kept telling himself that despite Garrick being trapped, it was still more of a win for them then they'd had for a long time and maybe they could actually do this. Maybe they could change the future. After all, the necklace he'd given Cait for Christmas worked perfectly and he didn't see a reason to why she would have to take it off. If something happened requiring her powers, he was sure they could find another way to deal with it.

"Is there something you wanted?" Harry eventually asked Barry, feeling the younger man's eyes on him all the time as he was watching Jesse disappearing inside the breach.

"Nooo… No," Barry dismissed that quickly and turned to the exit. "Sorry."

"It's because I actually _thanked_ HR, isn't it?" Harrison eventually sighed, turning to Caitlin and, while everyone but them cleared the room, he cupped her face and kissed her.

"Probably," she agreed, smiling against his lips. "I loved that, by the way."

"Oh, shut up!"

She giggled, kissing him harder.

"Home?" she then suggested.

"But definitely not to sleep."

"Nope. Definitely not."

"Actually… dr. Snow, what do you say about some dinner first?"

"Lead the way, dr. Wells." She smiled at him brightly, slipping her arm though his as they directed themselves to the exit.

* * *

"So," Caitlin started as they were already seated in a small and cozy restaurant, their choices somewhat limited since they always had to pick somewhere Harrison wouldn't get recognized, "I don't think you should be worried about Jesse. She's a tough girl, she'll be fine."

"Actually, I'm relieved that she's left and maybe she was right," Harry admitted, "maybe Earth 3 is be the safest option for her right now. At least this way I have one less person to protect," he admitted and Caitlin's smile faded away. She put her fork down and reached to cover his hand with hers across the table.

"Harry," she said when meeting his eyes, "you don't have to protect me or watch me twenty four seven. You have already done more than I could ever ask for."

"Well, you never have to ask. I'm here for you, Snow," he assured her.

"And it goes both ways," she responded, the smile making a comeback as they took to eating again. "Though we most definitely have to do something with your predicament and soon," she then picked up on another topic.

"What are you talking about?" He seemed confused.

"Your identity. I've been thinking about it and I think it's best to just call Felicity, maybe ask her to fix you some fake one? Or maybe you could pass as a long lost twin of Harrison Wells? And maybe this way you could actually claim some rights to S.T.A.R. Labs, I don't know," she shrugged, for now oblivious to his stunned look as she was taking another bite. "What?" she finally asked him when raising her eyes.

"Snow, we are quite literally trying to stop two members of our team from dying and you have time to think about such trivial matters as my identity?"

"Well, it's not like you're eager to borrowing HR's device. And he did offer, may I remind you."

"And I said I won't be wearing someone else's face in public!"

"Harry, seriously, I admit you're hot, but come on… not even to protect yourself? If someone recognizes you, you can be arrested."

"Or shot?" he suggested. "Like the last time? Ok, sorry," he added quickly, seeing the look on her face as those memories were brought up to the surface. "All I'm saying is that for now we have bigger things to worry about. Besides, if someone recognizes me, I'll just hit my panic button and Barry will swoop me off in no time. Or Wally."

"You know, I think someone's just recognized you right now," Caitlin suddenly said, her voice growing serious.

"Oh, really?" Harry asked, not sure whether she was playing him or being serious.

"Yes." She put her fork down, having eaten the last bite of her meal. "I suggest we better take this party home."

"Oh, so that is how you want to play it!" he realized what she meant. "All right. Let's head home."

"Well, someone did promise me some bed time, but not to sleep," she teased him.

"If the lady asks so nicely…"

* * *

Caitlin did choose to shower first after such an exhausting and emotional day and when she emerged from the bathroom, wearing nothing at all, she spotted Harry just lying in bed.

"Please, don't tell me you're asleep," she huffed as she stood in the door.

"Technically, if I was, I wouldn't be able to tell you that," immediately came from him and he supported himself on his elbows when raising his body slightly to look at her, his eyes immediately opening widely, taking in her being completely naked and so, so beautiful and sexy.

Which he didn't hesitate to tell her.

"Thank you, dr. Wells," she said appreciatively when coming over to the bed and hopping on, straddling him and running her hands up his chest. "I just don't like that I'm the only one naked. Take it off. Come on! Now!" She giggled as she said that and tried to pull the shirt off of him, finally succeeding. If would have gone faster if he hadn't put his hands on her breasts already, massaging them so skillfully that she didn't even remember her own name. She leaned forward, kissing him as her hands reached down to his pants to undo the button and pull the zipper down before she had him all hard and ready in her hand and guided him inside.

"Are we in a rush?" he asked, closing his eyes in pleasure.

"I just need you," she told him and that sentence alone sent another jolt of arousal through him. At this point he truly didn't need more as well, already feeling himself sinking inside her when she raised her body, lining him up and going down on him.

"God, Snow, you're gonna kill me," he rasped a second later as she started moving over him.

He couldn't take this. He needed to move as well, to touch her, to get closer to her, so he sat up, putting his arms around her, feeling her legs winding around his waist as they rocked together now, claiming their climaxes.

"This is new," she voiced her approval in a steamy voice and straight into his ear as they moved together faster and faster, her whimpering and him groaning deeply in his throat.

"I love to be creative," he responded.

"Oh, me, too," she agreed and nearly screamed his name at a particular good push he'd just given her, being so, so close…

With one last stroke of him inside of her, she started coming so hard her vision went all white, holding onto him as he followed her, both of them riding their orgasm.

When they fell into the covers she just had one wish – so they could stay safe forever. So nothing bad would happen to them from now on.

Only she knew how it usually was when it came to wishes…


	22. Chapter 22

Caitlin screamed Harry's name, frantically riding out her orgasm as she held onto him tighter, feeling him let go soon after, his hot seed filling her.

When he finally slid out of her and fell into the covers right next to her, it took them a while to recover and then she finally said in appreciation, though still a little breathlessly, "That was amazing, dr. Wells. And that thing you did…" she followed with, her voice trailing off significantly.

"Yes, it was, dr. Snow," he agreed, still trying to calm his heartbeat. Little did he know that soon there would be no actual respite for that organ of his…

"So, is it because of love hanging in the air?" Caitlin queried when turning onto her side to be able to see his face. "Musicals? All that singing?" she teased.

"I will never be caught dead watching a musical, Snow, or sing for that matter," he quickly assured her when meeting her eyes. "Anyway, I just feel like we've been on a good path recently with nothing bad happening."

"Yeah. And let it stay that way," she agreed, moving closer and resting her head right over his heart, his arm immediately going around her as he made them both more comfortable. "About that singing…" she hinted then.

"I will _never_ sing, Snow," he cut in right away.

"Well, maybe once all of this is over… when we finally do get our happy ending, you will, for me?" she tried one more time. "You have a beautiful voice, Harry."

"When I speak. You never heard me sing."

"Oh, please! For me!"

"Nope. Not even for you."

"Come on!" She braced herself on her elbow so she could look at him again.

"Over my dead body."

"Harry…"

"Snow, this is the end of discussion. Cross my heart and hope to..." he didn't manage to finish because she kissed him, effectively shutting his denials up.

"Fine!" she then agreed, settling herself back comfortably in his arms. "I don't need a man who can sing anyways."

"Good."

* * *

Harry was actually excited when he and Snow arrived at the Labs that day, slightly late though, but the team didn't even ask at this point why that was since they didn't really want any details. They'd learnt that from HR's mistake as the guy always prompted the couple and eventually Harry, having had enough of it, told him the truth straightforwardly, which caused the whole room to fall silent. Eventually, that silence was broken by Cisco who didn't know how to even react, so he did what he did best – he joked, asking Harry whether it was even normal when it came to men his age. Needless to say, no one wanted to repeat _that_ mistake again, everyone simply being happy that there was no new crisis in sight. In fact, it had been quiet recently and Barry even started to wonder whether it was the calm before the storm, but he didn't say anything, still bothered by what the Ronnie version of the speedforce had told him. It wasn't as though he could just send both Harry and Caitlin away. He couldn't for the simple fact that Cait needed a permanent solution to her Killer Frost problem and that he knew she wouldn't listen to him anyway. If she wanted to leave, that was a decision she alone needed to make. She wouldn't be forced into it.

Harry's excitement that day stemmed from the fact that there was a new meta in town, calling himself Abda Kadabra and actually being from the future. Barry mentioned he had information about Savitar and that alone immediately lit up a bulb in Harrison's brain, because if the villain knew their current biggest enemy's identity, there was also a chance he knew what would happen to Cait, what would eventually prompt Killer Frost to come forward.

Using the time during which the team actually started a discussion over Abda Kadabra and the fact that Cait was needed in med bay because the guy had previously hurt Julian, Harry made a hasty retreat, directing himself straight to the pipeline, ready to get some answers, ready to start working on preventing losing the woman he loved.

A moment later he was already facing a blond man who, as soon as he saw him approaching the cell, smirked, a clear recognition appearing in his eyes.

"Dr. Wells, how nice of you to pay me a visit and…" he thought for a moment, raising a finger, "judging by the current timeline, you are Harrison Wells from Earth Two and if someone asked me, I would say you are here to ask about your future. More specifically, about the future of the woman you love."

Harrison's eyes opened widely as he heard that, his heart hammering in his chest. He knew it! He knew he was on the right track. Now all he needed to do was to just find the right way to approach this man.

"Since you seem to know so much about me already, let's just skip the introductions and get to the part where you tell me how Caitlin turns into Killer Frost," he said, making sure his voice did not waver.

At first, Abda Kadabra only smirked wider before he responded with, "Oh, I bet you're dying to find that one out."

"Just tell me. Don't play games with me. What do you have to lose? Tell me how," Harrison encouraged, not liking the game this man seemed to be playing with everyone and really doing his best not to lose his patience.

"Actually," Abda spoke after a short moment of silence, placing his hand on his chin and rubbing there, "I do have nothing to lose. I hate Barry and love to watch him squirm, but you…" he stopped, taxing Harrison with his eyes and the older man shifted from one foot to another, "I would _love_ to see your reaction to the news."

"Then tell me!" Damn it, there it was. Wells's patience was running thin.

"Such an anger now and you didn't even hear me say it yet…"

"Hear _what_?!"

"That it is _you_ , my friend," Kadabra said, making a short pause before following with, " _You_ are the reason your pretty girlfriend goes frosty."

"What?" Harry frowned, expecting everything but this. He then made a step back, narrowing his eyes. "You're lying. This is just ridiculous."

"Is it?" Abda asked, cocking his head.

"Yes! I would never do that!"

"You just have to live and see, I guess," was all Harry received in response and it only agitated him more. At this point it was clear that he wouldn't squeeze anything more out of Abda and he sighed in frustration, shooting this infuriating and still smirking man an angry look before turning around and heading for the exit, actually hitting his hand against the wall when he found himself in the corridor.

It couldn't be right, he thought. It didn't make any sense! He wanted to do anything in his power to prevent Snow from going full on meta, not to actually make that happen! Kadabra must've been playing them all, taunting them, loving to watch them all squirm and despite his knowledge of the future, he might never tell them anything valuable since everything they'd heard so far was lies.

Harry seemed so preoccupied with those troubling thoughts that he barely registered Joe passing by him, heading to the pipeline himself.

* * *

Barely had Harrison reached his lab, taking his time strolling the halls of the building when he heard a distant explosion and froze. A moment later, he started off in the direction he heard it coming from, a sinking feeling already in his guts. They had gone way too long without anything bad happening and right now he just had the worst of feelings…

And he was right when he first spotted Julian lying on the floor, rubble all over.

"You ok?" he asked when leaning towards the man.

"Yeah… yes… Wait… Caitlin!" the younger guy said and Harry stilled, taking into his words and then frantically looking for Snow in the rubble.

"Snow! _Caitlin_!" he called out her name and once she actually responded, he felt such a relief that it hurt. She was all right if she answered him, wasn't she?

He quickly reached her, pulling her from under some pipes and wires that luckily didn't crash her.

"Are you all right?" he asked then and she nodded, "Yes… I… au!" she immediately followed with and then looked down as she saw him staring at her stomach in horrification. There was a rusty pipe sticking out it, making for quite a literal bloody mess.

* * *

"Gently! Oh, my God! Be careful! Gently!" Harrison called out to the team as they slowly helped Caitlin onto the med bed.

Julian and Cisco quickly moved to get the X-Ray, one of them grabbing a tablet and making a quick scan of her insides.

"It's bad," Julian informed when Cait took a peek at the closest monitor herself, seeing the shrapnel there wedged so dangerously close to her kidney. Harry actually felt like he was going to pass out, shaking all over and rendered useless since he couldn't do anything but freak out and hold her hand, praying to God that she would pull through.

"We have to take her to a hospital!" Cisco declared just then.

"No, we can't! They have a file on her! The first thing they do there will be to identify her as meta!" Joe told them quickly and there was sudden silence.

"Harry…?" Cait asked, looking at the terrified man sitting by her side, holding strongly onto her hand. "Harry, I can walk you through it. You can do the surgery and I…"

" _What_?" he gasped, mouth ajar. "No, Caitlin, I can't… I have no medical training! What if I kill you?!" Suddenly, Abda Kadabra's words came back to haunt him and he swallowed, feeling as though he was just digesting a bitter pill.

"You have steady hands and it's all I need," she tried one more time.

"I can do it," Julian suddenly volunteered and Harry quickly raised his eyes to the guy. "I've been a field medic. I can do this. As long as you talk me through it, but… Caitlin, we're talking about you being awake during your own surgery…"

"We know we have no choice, so better get down to it," she just said and Harry, on hearing that, reached his hand to her face, stroking it gently and then he put his head in the crook of her neck, not able to believe this was actually happening.

"What if we simply take off her necklace?" Cisco suggested, clearly just as terrified as Harrison was of the upcoming surgery Caitlin and Julian seemed to have agreed upon. "It should heal her."

"No!" Caitlin protested loudly and Harry raised his head, looking at her. "We are not taking off my necklace! Promise me! I'd rather die!" She fought fiercely.

She'd rather die, Harry thought. No, he couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't. Then again, if he and Cisco just ripped this necklace off, that qualified as _helping_ Killer Frost come forward and it might be exactly what Abda mentioned. Maybe if Harrison hadn't heard the man telling him all of this, maybe then they would try, but now he simply knew they couldn't. So it was the surgery.

* * *

Watching the woman he loved going through so much pain was like watching his wife dying all those years ago. And he couldn't possibly take it anymore. It was pure torture to him, but in the same time he knew he had to be strong for Caitlin, because if he felt this way, she must've felt so, so much worse when being awake and suffering through the pain.

In the end, the last and largest piece of shrapnel was removed and she actually found the strength to joke that she needed to pass out. Harrison was truly at awe with her as he'd never before in his entire life met such a brave, smart, beautiful and incredible woman.

And he just now told her all of that as she woke up, finding him sitting by her side, never leaving her bed and holding onto her hand.

"Hi, there, handsome," she started with and then got all emotional when she heard him speak so highly of her. "I'm pretty sure the hardest part was Julian's, but thanks anyway."

"And modest," Harry actually chuckled, so relieved she seemed to be fine. He couldn't stop himself as he got up and then gently kissed her lips before settling back in his chair. After all, he didn't want her to make any unnecessary movements that could hurt her.

"Harry, you have to promise me something," she then started off all serious and he got worried, looking into her hazel eyes.

"Normally I would say anything you want, but something tells me I might regret this one in the end," he said.

"I'm fine, but…" she hesitated, looking away before meeting his eyes bravely and then lifting her hand to place it on his face, "if something happens, if I don't make it… Harry, I need you to let me go. I need the necklace to stay in place." Once she said that, she could swear this part was the hardest. That it was even harder than the surgery she'd just undergone. Because the look on his face as he took into her words truly killed her.

"No, Cait," he shook his head, his denial frantic, "you can't possibly ask me that. Besides, nothing bad will happen to you, ok? The worst is behind us."

"I still need you to promise," she insisted, taking his hand for a change and squeezing it gently. " _Please_."

"Fine. I promise," he relented. "It's not like it's gonna make a difference. Abda Kadavra might've told me you're going to turn into Killer Frost because of me, but I'm pretty sure we changed that future already by letting you go under surgery instead of removing the necklace."

"Wait… what did you say?" Caitlin picked up on that, her mouth hanging open. "Harry…"

"Hey, it's you and me against the whole world, against fate, remember? And we won. I found out what happens and we changed it."

"Wait, what?" came from the door and as Harry turned, he spotted Cisco there. "What else did Kadabra tell you?"

"Nothing," Harry answered according to the truth. "He refused to divulge the secret of Savitar's identity if that is what you mean."

"Then why would he…?" Cisco's voice got cut off by the incessant beeping of the machine Caitlin was hooked up to.

Both he and Harry immediately looked that way and saw in horrification that Caitlin was just having an attack.

"Crash cart! Quickly!" Julian ran into the room and Cisco was right by his side, getting the needed equipment whereas Harry just stood up, making a few steps backwards, his eyes opened widely, an expression of horror clear on his face as he took into what was happening.

 _No_ , sounded in his brain just then as he raised his hands and put them on his head. _NO_ , was repeated twice as strong. No, this wasn't happening. Caitlin was all right. Caitlin was _not_ dying. She…

"Charge!"

"Nothing!"

"Then go all the way! Full power!"

Yet, as Cisco and Julian tried to revive Caitlin over and over again, she was still lifeless, still not moving, her body jumping up and down the bed under the force of the electric charge like a rag doll…

 _No, no, no, no, no_ … Harry kept repeating in his head, memories of the day he'd lost his wife coming back to haunt him, now being all mixed up with the fresh ones, with those of Snow, the second woman he'd fallen for, the woman he loved so much it hurt, so much he wouldn't be able to breathe if she died, not to mention actually go on… _No_ , he wouldn't pick himself up from it this time. There was no daughter that needed him. There was _nothing_ urging him on. _Nothing_.

"NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" a horrific yelp, full of agony was finally released from his lips and there was sudden silence, only broken by the dead signal the machine was reading of Snow's heart. Cisco was just standing there, crying and Julian was simply in shock.

"No," Harrison repeated, this time determined to do something, _anything_ to save her. Even if that meant turning her into Killer Frost, the bitter irony of it all hitting him full on. So Abda Kadabra _was_ right. Snow wasn't going to turn full on meta because Harry's invention stopped working. In fact, it was his fault in the first place. How ridiculous it was that after all this time they'd been desperately trying to cure her, to prevent her from turning, that it would be _him_ who would do it.

It wasn't as though as he had a choice.

Maybe none of them did.

Maybe the future couldn't be changed.

Maybe West would die.

But it didn't mean Snow would as well, because for _her_ there was actual _hope_.

Harry reached for the necklace and Cisco stopped him just then, placing his hand over the older man's arm. "It's not what she wanted! She made you promise!"

"I don't care!" Wells screamed, meeting Cisco's eyes with his own, crazy from grief. "I can't… _won't_ lose her! If she turns, we can still find a cure for her, but if we let her die…" He just shook his head, closing his eyes briefly before meeting Ramon's again. "This is the only way."

His younger friend, seeing the pain and anguish all over Harry's face, let go, allowing him to do whatever needed to be done.

"I'm so sorry. I hope that one day you can find it in yourself to forgive me for this," Harry spoke to Snow when his hand closed around the string of her necklace. "I just can't do this again. I won't lose another person that I love. I'm sorry." After that, he pulled, ripping the necklace off and stepping backwards, staring at Caitlin's pale face, waiting. Waiting for something, _anything_. For any reaction.

Just when he was about to give up, already feeling his knees bending underneath him, ready to let his body collapse, having no strength left anymore, the machine detected a heartbeat.

"Snow?" Harrison asked then, hope entering his voice. " _Caitlin_?"

Julian moved to the bed and pulled her shirt up along with the dressing, exposing the wound, opening his eyes widely as it closed, leaving an impeccable skin as though there had been nothing there to begin with.

And then Caitlin's heartbeat elevated and her eyes snapped open.

Next thing Harry knew, he was being thrown backwards, feeling a terrible cold.

When he finally managed to get back to his shaky feet, he saw that there was an icy mist everywhere, obscuring his view. And just then he saw it.

Or maybe rather _her_.

The problem was that Abda Kadabra's words came true. She wasn't Caitlin anymore.

In fact, as soon as her icy blue eyes met his, he saw nothing there, just emptiness, no trace of the woman he loved. And maybe that hurt even more than anything he'd been through that day.

He couldn't move, feeling as though he was paralyzed. In fact, he didn't try to run even when she raised her hand, ready to strike him with ice.

In that moment, he felt a whoosh of air and he realized Barry just saved him. Someone – either Cisco or Julian – must've hit the panic button on their phones to call upon the Flash.

* * *

"Guys… I… this doesn't change anything," Barry was saying when they all gathered up in the cortex after Caitlin – or maybe rather Killer Frost – disappeared. "I'm still going to run to the future. I need to do this now more than ever."

"Are you kidding me?" Harrison hissed through his teeth, glaring at the man. A moment later he actually got to him and grabbed the front of his suit, manhandling him.

"Hey! Hey!" Joe got between those two. "Hey, calm down!"

"Calm down?!" Harry snapped at the detective for a change. "Don't tell me to calm down! The woman I _love_ is gone! And it is _your_ fault!" He suddenly pointed his finger at Joe, ready to grab him, too.

"Hey! Hey! Enough!" Now Barry had to separate them. "Stop! This isn't going to help anyone!"

"Well, he's the one who released Abda Kadabra from his cell! Because of that, Snow got hurt and…" Harry winced, suddenly coming to a stop when bringing a hand to cover his eyes. He couldn't take this. He just couldn't. His own guilt laying heavily on his shoulders. Then again, he had no regrets, because if he'd let Caitlin die as she'd asked him to, he would've died as well. At least now he could pour all of this heartache and frustration into his work. He could still save her. They didn't know enough about the future to be sure that she couldn't be helped.

"Let him run to the future," Cisco said. "Maybe Barry should do exactly that. He goes into the future and finds out Savitar's identity whereas you, Harry, you hit the lab, call Cait's mother, keep on working on the cure, ok?"

Harry nodded absentmindedly, knowing all this time that that would be exactly the thing to do. It wasn't as though he could ask Allen for assistance. The guy had no knowledge of biochemistry. Not that he himself had, but with dr. Tannhauser's help…

"I can help," Julian surprisingly offered. "My field of expertise is quite close to Caitlin's. I'll do anything in power to help, dr. Wells," he then repeated and all Harry could do in the end was to just nod and accept the offered hand because it wasn't like he had many options.

"So be it," he said before heading straight for his lab. He couldn't think, he couldn't feel. He could only work. Only this way he wouldn't go crazy. Only this way he could save both Caitlin and their future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure whether it's evil of me to leave it here before I head off to vacations or maybe you'd rather I finally reached this episode... Anyways, I will update in the matter of two weeks since I'll be gone.


	23. Chapter 23

Barry should have known there was more to the dark future he was just visiting than what he'd initially thought. Or maybe deep down inside he seemed to already and he refused to ask any questions at first for fear he would have to face it all. Like right now. When Cisco showed him his hands. Or maybe lack thereof.

He'd already queried his friend about Harry's whereabouts and all he'd gotten in response was the ambiguous _he's not here_. Maybe now it was finally the time to prompt for more information.

"So, Caitlin… I mean Killer Frost," Barry corrected himself immediately since they both knew that the Cait they loved would never do such an awful thing, "did this to you. And what about Harry? Where is he, Cisco? Couldn't he stop her? Did he give up and return to Earth 2?"

There was silence as Cisco was bracing himself for answering this question, a painful look reflected in his eyes and Barry felt sick, already knowing what was coming. If there was another person almost as closely connected to Harry as Caitlin was, it was Cisco, his best friend.

"He… tried," the guy slowly explained. "He tried to stop her. And she killed him." There it was. Those words cut like a knife straight into Barry's heart, leaving his chest cold and empty. Apparently, it wasn't enough that he had to live through losing the love of his life. The same had to happen to Harrison Wells as well and somehow it was even worse because he'd already lost his wife once.

"No," denial was still the first response when Barry shook his head, running a hand through his hair, trying to deal with all the death and devastation that surrounded him in this dreadful future.

"Right after she took my hands, he went up against her," Cisco began explaining. "He tried to appeal to her feelings, but… there was nothing left in there. Caitlin is gone, Barry. How else can you explain Killer Frost delivering her deadly kiss to Harry? He died right there in front of my bloody eyes and I couldn't do anything to stop it, because I couldn't use my powers. That… that broke me. That was the end."

There was sudden silence as Barry was still processing, not able to deal with this. He just couldn't, wouldn't accept this future.

"I will do everything and anything in my power to fix this, Cisco," he then promised his friend. "We'll find Cait in time. We will save her. You will never lose your hands."

"I wish it were that easy, Barry, but we both know that time travel can be tricky."

"Maybe," Barry agreed, "but this isn't me travelling into the past to change things. This is me travelling into the future so I could change it by trying a different approach in my own timeline. It may just work."

"Let's hope so. And if it doesn't… I want you to know that I'm glad I got to see you again."

* * *

Once Barry came back to his timeline, no time had passed, yet he had some knowledge. It wasn't exactly what he expected when making the trip, but it would have to do for now. At least he could do something with that. At least he knew now that he should look for Tracy Brand.

Though, first he made his way to Harrison's lab. He just wasn't sure whether he should tell the man what would happen, what Caitlin – or rather Killer Frost – would do to him.

"I went there," he simply said once Wells spotted him, but didn't say anything to start the conversation himself.

"Do you know how to save Snow?" the older man queried then, getting straight to the point.

"No," Barry admitted sadly. "I don't."

"Then I'm not interested in anything you have to say to me, Allen."

"Fair enough, but…"

"No," came short and straight. "I don't need the knowledge of the future." Harry finally put away the tools he was working with and faced Barry. "I'll make the best I can here with what I have."

"I guess…" Barry hesitated, leaning against the door frame and folding his arms across his chest. "I guess I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, Harry," he finally got it out and was met with a surprised look. "It just now occurred to me how much you have to suffer because… because of me. I am truly sorry for creating flashpoint, for… ruining her life."

Harrison was silent for a moment and then he sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes before looking at his younger friend again. Eventually, he said, "You know, Allen, truth be told, I am not perfect myself. In fact, you haven't ruined her life. I did. I made the decision to take off her necklace and every step of the way I keep trying to convince myself that it was the right one, but… I'm not sure of anything anymore. I need to believe, I guess. We all need to hold on to the belief that we can change things and we need to work together in order to achieve that."

"When all of this is over," Barry spoke then, "when we get her back… Harry, I think you should take her far, far away from here, build a life for yourself somewhere else. You both deserve to be happy and here, working with the team… you can never be really safe." It was hard for him to say, but he knew it was the right thing to do. Ronnie's ominous words about the _disastrous outcome_ were still fresh in his mind. Was this it? He wondered. Or was it about the future when Caitlin would kill Harrison with her deadly kiss?

Harry frowned on hearing that. "Why? Is the future that bad?"

"Just a friendly advice," Barry dismissed the question, knowing that telling the older man the truth wouldn't change anything. It wasn't like they could find a cure for Caitlin thanks to that.

He was just about to leave when Harry called out after him, "Allen."

"Yeah?" Barry turned around in the door.

"We _will_ get her back. I won't rest till we do. And we will make sure Iris lives as well."

All Barry could do in this moment was to just nod, seeing that this was the most tragic. The fact that Wells refused to give up and rest till he saved the woman he loved might be exactly what would get him killed in the end.

Only Barry wouldn't let that happen, he made a promise to himself. No matter what, he wouldn't abandon his friends. He would be stronger than the future him. He _had to_.

* * *

Harrison couldn't believe that he'd missed so much while having a conference call with Caitlin's mother. The woman took her daughter turning full on Killer Frost surprisingly well, but then again, she was cold herself, not pun intended. Yet, he could see how much effort she'd put into keeping in touch with her daughter after their reunion and while being a father himself, he could only imagine what Carla must've been feeling deep down inside, probably reluctant to show it. He knew it first hand, he did the same thing and before he fell in love with Snow, he'd been even worse at it.

What was important right now was that he found out Killer Frost had made an appearance, hunting Tracy Brand. It was a good thing Barry had taken that trip to the future, Harry had to admit now, even if reluctantly, because otherwise they wouldn't have known how important a part Brand would play. The key to saving Iris and trapping Savitar was saving Tracy and maybe now, with the new information from dr. Tannhauser, Harrison might've also found the key to saving the woman he loved.

"Wait…" he suddenly heard and he turned around from the screen in the cortex, noticing the blonde stranger that must've been a very confused Tracy Brand. She looked from him to HR by her side and then back at him, mouth agape, "So… there's two of you?"

"HR's from Earth 19, this is Harry from Earth 2. One single," Cisco quickly provided the info when pointing HR who smiled at him gratefully, "and one taken," he shifted to point at Harry. "In fact, Harry here is Caitlin's boyfriend."

"Wait… you mean the blonde witch who wants to kill me?"

"She's not a…" Harrison started right away, but then he changed his mind. "We don't have time for this!" He was clearly impatient; the fact that Caitlin was trying to actually _kill_ someone still hard for him to process. Then again, she wasn't Caitlin anymore. Still, he chose to believe Snow wasn't dead. They just needed to find a way to reach her and bring her back. "The next time you go up against her, I need to be there. I've just spoken with dr. Tannhauser and she said we need a fresh blood sample. Now that the transition is complete, her blood might be the key to reverse engineering the cure."

In that moment, Barry's cell rang and it turned out to be a panicked Joe, informing Caitlin just kidnapped Cecile and wanted to trade her for Tracy in an hour.

"Great!" Harry said, clasping his hands. "Let's give her what she wants!"

"Wait a second!" HR raised his voice, getting angry and then making a step forward, effectively covering Tracy with his body as though Harry was going to kidnap her himself and drag her to the right place by force. "We're not making the switch!"

Harry only sighed in response, running a hand over his mouth. Then he finally said, "Of course we're not."

"Because you can't just… wait, what?" HR fell silent, not following.

"We use her as bait!" Harry explained, losing his patience all the way. "We are definitely not trading one chance for another, ok? We'll just set a trap and we'll get a sample of Snow's blood. We need to bring her in and lock her up in the pipeline. The faster we separate her from Savitar, the better," he finished and everyone seemed to agree with him. Well, everyone except Tracy Brand who freaked out and left the cortex, HR following straight. Not that Harry cared. He was sure his idiotic doppelganger would handle it since he obviously liked the woman. What really bothered him now was that Killer Frost allied herself with Savitar. Why? Who was he? Why did he even care for her? What did he do to gain her trust? Harry knew this was ridiculous, but somehow he felt jealous of the mysterious man who claimed to be the god of speed.

* * *

Harry braced himself for seeing Caitlin turned all frosty and evil, yet, it didn't help much, the sight alone still shocking him. He just couldn't place the image of the woman who loved him and always looked at him with so much care and devotion in her eyes with this one, this empty face, eyes rid of any expression.

"I'm fine!" Cecile called out to Joe once the man spotted her and ran her way. "She didn't hurt me!"

"That's because killing you does nothing to me," Killer Frost informed, making her way to the group. Yet, her eyes did not set on Harry. She was looking at Tracy, not bothered at all by the fact that the man with whom she'd spent the last few months was right there. Maybe she really was someone else, however incomprehensible that seemed to Wells. "Killing you, Tracy," she immediately followed, "does everything. Hand her over."

Harrison chose that moment to step forward, slowly making his way towards Frost.

"Caitlin," he said the name he held so dear in his last feeble attempt of reaching her, of finding something, _anything_ in those icy cold eyes of hers.

In response, she just said, "Caitlin is gone and you better get out of my way," in a voice that lacked any warm feeling and matched the look in her eyes.

"You don't have to do this!" Barry called to her, reaching his hand out, ready to speed up and protect Harry if she made any sudden movement. He chose not to look at the older man's face, because he truly didn't have the strength to see the heartbroken expression there. Soon enough, he stopped right in front of Harry, covering him with his body, desperate to keep him safe, future Cisco's words still echoing in his head. He couldn't let Killer Frost get close enough to Wells to kill him. Not this time. Not in this timeline.

"Oh, I do," she responded just then.

"Why? Because Savitar commands it? He's not god. He's just a man who's using you," Barry tried to speak to her mind, but to no avail. It wasn't as though he thought it would work anyway. He just had to get her to talk some more, to divert her attention so they could knock her out and take the blood they so desperately needed. "Come on, you're…"

"...one of us?" she immediately cut in.

"We're…"

"…family?" she once again finished with the exact word he was going to say.

He frowned when continuing, "We protect…"

"…each other. Till the end." There was a self-satisfying smirk on her face now as she noticed she'd thrown him off balance.

In that moment, something froze inside of Harry and he started to think hard, desperately trying to reach something that was just at the back of his mind…

And then Barry asked, "How are you doing that?"

And she answered, "Savitar told me everything you'd say. You two are more alike than you realize." And everything fell into place for Harry as he sucked in a breath. "See, that's why Savitar knows every move you're going to make. He's always one step ahead of you, because this is all history to him."

"Allen…" Harry spoke and in the same time Killer Frost said, "That's how I know Cisco's in the rafters right now."

"Allen!"

Only Harry's warning died out as Frost blew the rafters up. Luckily, Cisco managed to open a portal in time and barely escape.

Next thing Harry knew, there was an icicle flying his way and then a whoosh of air as Barry sped up and saved him, getting hit himself.

In the end, it was Cisco who used his powers and managed to knock Caitlin out, the thing Harry was going to say fleeting away from his mind as he saw his chance. He ran towards the passed out woman with no hesitation and grasped her hand, nearly hissing at how cold and how unlike Caitlin's it was. But he had it. He got the blood. He was just about to see if Allen was awake so he could speed Frost to S.T.A.R. Labs while she was still unconscious when…

Savitar appeared out of nowhere, dressed up in a metallic armor, towering above him and it was the first time Harrison saw the monster with his own eyes.

In no time Killer Frost was gone.

It didn't seem to matter anymore anyway, Harrison realized as he rose to his feet, his body nearly shaking with the newly realized truth, the blood sample safely tucked in his hand.

"I know who Savitar is," he said and everyone just stared at him.

* * *

"So, Savitar is an evil version of Barry from the future… Dude! That's so messed up!" Cisco exclaimed, placing his hands on his head.

They were all back in the cortex, trying to put all the pieces together. Barry had already run after Savitar and faced the man, confirming what Harry was already suspecting.

"But he's not me…" Barry cut in just then. "I mean, not really."

"He's all that's worst. He's a time remnant," Cisco agreed.

"Now that we know the truth, what are we going to do about it?" Harry asked, folding his arms across his chest when leaning against the wall. "We can't just lock Allen up and wait it all out. It won't work. It would be for too long."

"We need a more radical solution," Cisco started thinking hard.

"Well, you know where to find me once you figure it out. I need to run some tests on the blood," Harrison said and headed to the exit.

* * *

Few hours later, blood testing done and results e-mailed to dr. Tannhauser, Harry met with Cisco and Julian coming back from the court with Barry.

"I take it by the looks on your faces that it didn't go well," he judged when joining them and walking with them to the cortex.

"Well, maybe if you helped us with those glasses like we asked…" Cisco started quite angrily.

"Ramon, I have more important problems on my mind like…" Suddenly, Harry stopped dead in his tracks, staring at something in the cortex and when the younger men followed that direction, they gasped, seeing Killer Frost.

The surprise was truly too much for Harry as she disregarded him coolly and proceeded to talking to the rest about how they should work together because Savitar lost his memories just as Barry did and the city was left unprotected since it also meant Wally was powerless… Harry could only turn on his heel and leave. He truly wished he hadn't been so shaken up every time he came face to face with her. He truly wished he'd gotten some warning.

* * *

"I can feel you staring, you know," Killer Frost said, sensing Harrison standing in the doorway and watching her work. "It won't help. Your presence does nothing to me, dr. Wells. I am not your Caitlin anymore or… shall I say Snow since you love to call her that?" She turned to look at him just to notice him wince slightly at the official way she addressed him. "Cat got your tongue?" she then provoked him.

"You know," he finally spoke, his voice unusually hoarse as though he hadn't been using it for a while, "you claim not to be her, but you have all of her memories, don't you?"

"They're just it. They're memories of a dead person. I'm not her. I simply occupy her body."

"And I'm supposed to believe that?" he prompted. "I'm supposed to believe that an unknown entity just happen to occupy the body of the woman I love? How? Why? Where did you come from? Dark matter doesn't give a person an entirely new personality."

"Are you done? We don't have time for this," she disregarded him again, walking over to another desk and grabbing a tool from it.

"No," he said before turning to leave. "I am not. Not until I get you back, _Snow_."

He didn't see it, but she did flinch on hearing that affectionate nickname.

* * *

"Harry!" Sometime later and after a long phone call to dr. Tannhauser, Cisco came to find his friend. "Caitlin's leaving. We need you."

"She's not Caitlin," Wells responded calmly despite being a raging mess inside.

"She is! She has to be! Man, I mean… I saw the disappointment clear on her face when you left the room after your little talk! I really think we can reach her, Harry. Just… _please_. One more time, ok? I know this is already asking too much. I know how hard this is for you of all people since you two are together, but… I don't think we can do this without you."

Harrison sighed before taking off his glasses and running his hand over his eyes, rubbing furiously.

"Fine," he eventually agreed, already apprehensive of facing her again. The power this woman seemed to have over him was truly overwhelming. In fact, if she was really gone, then he didn't know what he would do. He was barely hanging on, on a thread, holding on to hope. Maybe he should have known better.

" _Snow_!" he called her in that special way again and she stopped right by the elevator, finally turning and facing him, the team a wall behind him.

"You wanna fight?" she asked. "Because this is the only way this is gonna go."

"We don't want to fight. We want you to stay here with us," Barry told her. "Caitlin, we're your family."

"I don't have a family," she immediately answered back. "I have no one!"

"What about _me_?" Harry asked her desperately, hating himself for showing this much emotions in his voice in front of the rest of the team. "I love you. You will _always_ have a home with me, Snow! Don't you remember the amazing Christmas we spent together? As a _family_? You were so happy then…"

"I don't love you," she simply said, interrupting him, her voice rid of any emotions, cold and straight to the point. And that was a knife to his heart. _Again_. "I never loved any of you!" she added and walked into the elevator, the door sliding close behind her.

Harrison released a ragged breath, his heart a mess, his head full of painful memories. He had to focus, he reminded himself. He had to focus. He couldn't fall apart. Not just yet. There was still so much to do.

"Harry…" Cisco said his name and then his hand was on the older man's shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"I… I'm fine," Harrison said hoarsely. "In fact, I need to head off. I need to see dr. Tannhauser. It's the only way we can ever get Snow back." He was already gone, directing himself to his room, probably to gather up some of his things before the trip.

None of them knew about the brief change Killer Frost underwent in the elevator.

Once she was finally alone, the words Harry said to her and those she spoke right back to him kept on ringing in her head so loudly that she started losing control, even if briefly.

"Harry…" the name was out of her mouth before she could stop it, her voice squeaky, desperate, broken.

 _No_ , Killer Frost screamed. Caitlin would not win this fight. She forced her back under control. Soon enough, Caity was gone and so were her feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seemed obvious that Harry would be the first to put the pieces together and guess Savitar’s identity.


	24. Chapter 24

Harrison didn't even realize it was already May 16 as he'd been working so hard alongside Caitlin's mother. It was only when he briefly glanced at the calendar that he stilled, noticing the date and already feeling sick to his stomach. Because tonight Iris West was going to die and they still hadn't done anything to prevent it from happening. Could they even? Or was it already too late? He and Dr. Tannhauser were so, so close to making the cure for Caitlin that he actually believed the future wasn't set in stone. Barry mentioned that eight years from now Caitlin was still Killer Frost, so technically, coming up with a cure was changing that future. Yet, there was no saying that Iris's future was changed as well.

While not wasting any time, Harrison reached for his phone and called Cisco, needing to know where they stood and how the team was doing. His friend quickly informed him about Barry pulling Leonard Snart from the timeline so he could help him break into A.R.G.U.S. facility. Needles to say, Harry hated the idea and if only he were in Central City right now, he would try and stop Allen.

"Yeah, no surprise there, man, so just let it go, ok? It's Iris we're talking about. We can't let her die." Cisco shut him down and then followed with, "By the way, we hid her on your earth."

"What?" That surprised Harry.

"Barry told us to take her away and not tell him where, so I figured Earth Two was the best bet."

"Ramon, if Savitar finds out and comes for Iris… Jesse's back there now and I cannot possibly be worried about my daughter on top of it all!" Wells growled, nervously running his hand through his hair, already regretting leaving the Labs. Then again, it wasn't like he had a choice. He needed to oversee the making of Caitlin's cure. It couldn't be done from afar, he needed the technology that Snow's mother had at her workplace.

"Relax, ok? Jesse will be fine and so will Iris! How's the cure? How soon can you come back with it?"

"Matter of an hour or so, I guess," Harry provided the answer, glancing at dr. Tannhauser who hadn't left the machine where the cure was cooking even for a moment, just as determined to save Snow as he was.

"Ok. I'll let you know once I find out something new. Be safe, Harry. Let's hope it works."

"It has to," Wells said when finally hanging up and making his way back to the woman. "How far are we?"

"Half an hour away, maybe."

"Good, because we don't have the time."

"You know, what, dr. Wells?" she suddenly asked when turning to him, giving him her full attention. "I have to say something despite it still being hard for me."

Harrison seemed surprised as he folded his arms over his chest, focusing his eyes on her and actually betraying his nervousness. He'd so far had to hide the fact that he was actually on the verge of breaking and couldn't take this situation any longer. Seeing Caitlin's mother wasn't making it all any easier on him.

"I already know what you think of me, dr. Tannhauser, so you can spare me, really."

"No, I don't think you do," she argued. "I had mixed feelings about you the moment I met you and even after that, I remained skeptical…"

"Nothing new there," Harry murmured under his breath, shifting from one foot to another when boring his eyes into the floor. Who knew that he would feel so diminished in front of this woman? Who knew that her own attitude towards him would actually affect him? He'd never cared what people thought about him, but somehow that started to change when he'd met Snow and fallen in love with her. Her mother saw him as inadequate for her daughter and that was a blow to his pride, because all he wanted in this world was just for Caitlin to be happy and free of any burden. He just wanted to give her a good and happy life. It actually hurt that the woman who'd brought this amazing, gentle, kind and beautiful creature to this world, didn't approve of their relationship.

"Harrison, let me finish, ok?" Carla insisted, calling him by his first name and that surprised him, so he just had to look her in the eye again. "I just wanted to say that right now I finally see how much you love my daughter and how lucky she is to have you in her life." Harry's lips truly fell open as he heard that. Was everything all right with his ears? Because this seemed impossible. "I guess I always had a certain image of my future son in law in my head…" the both of them frowned when she said that and then Harry actually chuckled, because dr. Tannhauser's calling him son was just ridiculous, "but that wasn't real. You have to understand, Harrison, that we all have our own expectations and when people don't raise up to them, we have difficulties accepting that even though we can somehow see how wrong we were."

"That's the thing, isn't it? We _shouldn't_ live with any expectations and just let happen whatever happens," he said and she nodded.

"I see that now. That's also exactly what drove a wedge between me and my daughter when she refused to work for me and left for Central City. I will forever regret that I haven't seen the error of my ways sooner and that I didn't get to spend the time with her while I still could…"

"The cure will work. I _has_ to," he spoke again, not accepting any other option.

"I truly hope so, but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry and that you have my blessing. With you Caitlin is happy and that's truly all I should've ever wanted for her," she finished and just then they heard a beep, indicating that the cure was ready. "Why don't you take this for a spin?" Carla asked and Harry just nodded, grateful for the interruption, feeling awkward after everything she just told him.

* * *

"Are you sure you can do this?" Killer Frost asked Savitar, recently having more unwilling thoughts than she would like to admit. "You remember growing up with Iris, falling in love with her, kissing her… Are you really sure you can just end her life?" What was happening to her anyway? Why was she having all those strange thoughts and feelings? What should she even call them? _Regrets…_ Something told her, but she pushed it away, disgusted that she even dared. She was Killer Frost and she had to live up to that name. What more, she had to leave her old life behind. She had to leave _Caity_ behind, so she could finally reach her full potential, so she could be free of any pain and trouble. So she could be just like Savitar. Feelings made you weak.

"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" Savitar answered with a suspicious question, reading her all too well and she hated that. She hated the fact that he was questioning her loyalty.

"No," she denied quickly, yet again pushing Caity to the dark recesses of her cold mind. "Of course not!"

"Good. Because the plan is simple. I kill Iris and prepare for my ascension and you, you know exactly what you have to do. You have to kill Harrison Wells, so you could finally be free of him. He's still in there, I can tell," he said when pointing at Frost's heart. "And you need to pull that weed out as soon as possible. Do you understand?"

Killer Frost swallowed, but then she only nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Cisco, talk to me!" Harry growled into his phone as he left the building, the cure tucked safely in his pocket.

"Savitar got Iris!" his friend provided in a panicked tone. "He concealed himself as Barry and HR told him where she was!"

Harrison came to a sudden stop, cursing loudly and earning himself some horrified looks from the fellow pedestrians that he ignored, of course.

"What doesn't that surprise me?!" he yelled.

"Hey! Don't hold this against HR! It was an accident!" Cisco was still trying to defend the man.

"Whatever! Is Jesse safe?!" was all Harry needed to know now.

"Yes. Don't worry. He just took Iris and sped off with her. Do you have the cure?"

"All ready to be applied."

"Great! I'm going to breach you! I just vibed Caitlin! I think we may get through to her!"

"Because the last time worked so well," Harry sighed, running his hand over his forehead. "All right. Better come fa…" the words died out in his throat as a breach behind him was already opened and Cisco grabbed him to pull him through.

"Maybe a little warning next time?" Harry complained when they found themselves in the woods. "Is this the place where we're supposed to meet Snow?" he then immediately followed with when looking around.

"Oh, so there's two of you!" they suddenly heard the changed and cold voice of the woman in question, so he had his answer. "I didn't think you'd actually show."

"Really? You know that we'll do anything in our power to save you, Caitlin," Cisco answered her whereas Harry was trying to come up with some kind of a strategy. He had the cure, but he had to find a way to apply it. Maybe if Cisco could knock her out again…

He would most definitely have to do it, because she struck Ramon with ice immediately and he was forced to respond when using his powers as well.

"Snow!" Harrison screamed her name, desperate for this to work, needing her to just wake up and choose the right side. "Snow, it doesn't have to be like this!"

"Of course it does!" she yelled right back, still attacking her best friend. "As long as the both of you live, I can't be free of you! Of _her_!"

"Wait… you mean she's still in there? I knew it!" Harry actually felt real hope for the first time since she'd changed. Cooking a cure for her wasn't enough, he needed to know that Caitlin wasn't dead, that she was still somewhere there and now he got his answer.

Just then Cisco fell down and Wells's eyes opened widely as Frost made her way to him.

"If you want Caity back so much, why don't you kiss her?" she taunted him.

His hand closed around the cure. All he had to do was…

Only then, there was a sudden whoosh of air and Savitar appeared right between them.

"I was just about to kill him!" Killer Frost complained.

"Plan B," Barry's time remnant said. "Iris isn't dead. HR took her place."

Cisco and Harry exchanged surprised glances and the latter could see the pain appearing on his younger friend's face. After all, the team was quite fond of HR. Still, he'd divulged the secret of where Iris was and in the end traded his own life to save hers. Harrison didn't really know whether that qualified as being a hero or simply not being able to live with such guilt. One way or another, his doppelganger was gone and he could only hope he wouldn't follow him soon.

* * *

Of course Savitar had a back-up plan, Harry thought as both he and Cisco were working on the speedforce bazooka. They refused to at first, but when the god of speed threatened to kill Caitlin, there wasn't really much of a choice to be made. Still, in the end, when no one was watching them, Harrison told Cisco about his plan to adjust the bazooka to fool Savitar into thinking that it was working right whereas it really wasn't.

"I got a cure for you, you know," Harry chose a moment during which Savitar was gone and Killer Frost was the one overseeing their work but not really paying much attention to what they were truly _doing_ to the bazooka. A win, win for them.

Her face twitched slightly when she heard that, but then she schooled herself right back. Still, it was enough for him to feel even more hopeful that they could overcome this, that he could bring her back. Iris was alive whereas she was supposed to die. In fact, it was HR who was meant to live. If that could change, then anything could, truly.

"I can give it to you right now, Snow," he continued, seeing that maybe he finally started to break through her walls. "You can go home with me. You know how much I love you. I am not giving up on you. Just say the word and the cure is yours." Somehow, he didn't want to apply it to her by force if he didn't really have to. It would mean so much more to him if she took it because she simply wanted it. Because it was her decision.

"You're only wasting your breath," she eventually said and he sighed.

"Am I?" he still asked, his eyes never leaving hers while Cisco was doing his thing with the bazooka. "I can see the hesitation on your face clearly, Snow. Come on. Just take it and all of this can be over. We can all wake up from this bad dream."

She was already opening her mouth to say something when…

A breach opened and there was a pair of hands reaching for both Harry and Cisco and pulling them in.

Harrison landed on something hard and once he finally oriented himself, he saw that he was in Allen's loft. Cisco was just yelling at Gypsy who apparently came to their rescue.

"I had her!" Harry joined the screaming, so furious that he was quite literally seeing red. "I had her, damn it! Why did you have to come for us?!"

"This is the thank you I get for saving your asses?!" Gypsy answered them back.

"This isn't a thank you!" Cisco responded when the older man moved away from them, his hands buried in his hair as he started pacing along the room. "This is the opposite of thanks! We got her!"

"I vibed you being in trouble all the way through the multiverse! I had to come!"

* * *

They were going over their plan and Harry was all on board with it until he heard that he and Julian were to stay behind. He just had to protest then, because there was no fucking way he was sitting this one out!

"Harry, I'm sorry, but you can't go," Barry told him in a calm voice.

"It's _Caitlin_ we're talking about here! I can reach her! I almost did! You need me there!"

"No, we don't!" Barry argued. "Don't you see? You have no powers and you'll just be a target! We can't be distracted by keeping you safe when fighting Savitar and Killer Frost! Harrison, I'm sorry, but you and me both know that Caitlin would never want us to jeopardize your safety. What good will it do to her if you die in the crossfire?"

Wells sighed, putting his hands on his hips and looking down at the floor, hating that Allen was right. Yet, his common sense was in conflict with his emotions. He just _had_ to be there.

"Harry, man, listen," Cisco walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "You know how much she means to me. I love her, too. She's always been like a sister to me, so you have my word that I will do my best to help her. Give me the cure. I'll see what I can do about giving it to her, ok?"

"But…" he was still trying to argue when Barry cut in, "Harry, I saw the future, ok?! You were dead there! I know we might've changed a lot already, but let's just not risk it. When I was in the speedforce, looking for Wally, I was also told that you should be careful. I am not kidding when I say I just want to keep you safe."

There must've been something Harrison saw in Allen's eyes as he heard that, because in the end he relented, nodding and letting it go.

Cisco gave his shoulder a little squeeze. "I promise I will you anything in my power to get her back. You can count on me."

* * *

And Cisco did, Harry thought, but it didn't exactly go as they all expected it would.

They were at HR's funeral, Savitar erased from existence and Caitlin… well, Caitlin was gone. Killer Frost had raised up to the call and actually chosen to save Cisco instead of letting Savitar kill him, but in the end she took off with the cure. A part of Harry hoped she would be back soon and that she would be his Snow again, but so far, it hadn't happened.

Just now as they were burying HR, his heart actually jumped on seeing her.

It wasn't Caitlin, though. Her hair was still white, but gone was the sexy black suit she'd worn the last he'd seen her.

As he was watching her standing there in the distance, looking back at him, he truly didn't know how much his heart could still take. Maybe it was irretrievably broken because he still couldn't get her back. Why hadn't she taken the cure? He wondered.

He knew he would never find out unless he asked, but it took him quite a while to actually remember how to move his legs. Once he made the first step, his heart feeling heavier and heavier, he couldn't seem to stop till he was facing her.

She took off her dark glasses when he approached her, her eyes then looking behind him and he more felt than saw both Barry and Cisco making their way to them, too.

" _Snow_ ," was all Harry could say in the end, his voice shaky. He didn't have it in him to ask, to beg. He just couldn't do this anymore. If he said more, he might lose it. Because she was so, so close and yet, she seemed light years apart from him as though something was broken between them, as though they weren't together anymore.

"You didn't take the cure?" Cisco wanted to know, frowning as he took in her white hair.

"No," the answer came and it was just like another knife sinking into Harry's heart, though it didn't hurt less than the first time it happened.

"Caitlin…" Barry started then.

"I'm not Caitlin anymore," she interrupted and then she reached to her pocket, the cure soon in her hand as she handed it over to Harry. "Thank you for this, but I don't want it."

He was staring at the vial in her hand for way too long, somehow not able to look into those changed eyes again. He couldn't. Just wouldn't.

Eventually, he did reach his hand to her, closing it around her own, trapping the cure inside, flinching a little at the cold he felt. Because this wasn't Caitlin's hand anymore and the pain that followed that discovery was devastating. All this time he'd thought he could reach her, that she was still somewhere in there, but he was wrong. She was _gone_ now. And it was all his fault. And he couldn't handle this knowledge.

"Keep it," was all he was able to say to her in the end, his voice coming out strange and hoarse, not seeming to belong to him at all.

"I won't take it. I need to figure out who I am now," she told him, though she put it back into her pocket and then… then she just turned around and left and Harry was watching her back until it disappeared from his view.

Next thing he knew, Cisco placed his hand on his shoulder and he immediately shrugged it off.

"Ramon, _don't_."

"But, Harry…"

The older man just turned around and started walking the shortest way back to the Labs.

"Where are you going?!"

"Home."

"What do you… you mean Earth Two?!" Cisco caught up with him and stood in his way.

"Yes, Ramon, I mean my earth."

"But… but you can't leave, ok?! She's still in there! I can tell! Caitlin's alive and if only we're patient…"

" _STOP!_ " Harrison roared and successfully rendered Cisco speechless.

They stood in silence for a moment during which the younger man's eyes filled with tears.

"Harry…"

"I found everything once, ok?" Wells started then, his voice full of pain, his eyes set on nothing in particular on the horizon. "And I lost it. Then I thought that I was lucky enough to find it again. I found my _everything_ one more time. And then I lost it _again_." It was clear to Cisco that Harrison was doing everything in his power to stop himself from breaking, to stop the tears from falling and it was such a devastating sight that he didn't know what to do or say. "I can't possibly do this anymore. She wanted to die! She never wanted me to touch that necklace and I did it anyway!" Now all the people at the funeral were staring at them, but he didn't care. They wouldn't change his mind and they must've known it, because they remained silent, watching the scene with pain reflected on their faces. "I just couldn't lose her," Harry lowered his voice. "I couldn't grant her, her very last wish and I still lost her. And it's even more painful, because her body is out there, but it's not _her_ anymore."

"Harry… I hear you, man, I do, but… we're your family. You have a home here. You can't just…"

"I have _nothing_! She was my home and she is _gone_! Cisco, I don't even know how to _be_ anymore!" Harrison suddenly came to a stop and closed his eyes, wincing. "I wish it were me, not HR," he finally added as he walked right past his friend. "At least this way it could be all over."

Cisco was just about to follow when Barry stopped him, shaking his head. He experienced loss before, loss so devastating it took a person's very reason to live and left them hollow, so he understood Harrison needed time.

* * *

Killer Frost was struggling again. Caitlin was screaming inside and so loudly that she didn't know whether she would be able to keep her in check this time.

It was all because she'd showed up on that stupid funeral! She thought. The look in Harrison Wells's eyes, the love for her there, the devastating sight of him breaking right in front of her did this.

And the worst part was that she felt it, too now. Because Caitlin felt it.

She screamed as she walked into a dark alley where no one would see her. She couldn't stop the pain. It was too much. It overwhelmed her completely and then…

She couldn't stop her hand as it reached for the vial and she took the cure.

* * *

The breach to Earth Two opened and Jesse finally saw her dad. Only the smile that was on her face quickly faded away, replaced by worry.

"Dad? Oh, my God! Dad, what's wrong?!" she asked when getting to him in no time to hold him.

Once Harry felt her arms closing around him, he stumbled, losing it, letting go of the last remnants of control he had.

And then he started crying.

He finally cracked and there was nothing that could stop this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize sincerely for all this pain. I always planned for this to happen and some scenes were already written down for this chapter.
> 
> You will love the next one, though. Is that consolation enough?


	25. Chapter 25

_Few weeks later_

Harrison heard the characteristic whoosh coming from behind while he was working. In fact, work was just about everything he was able to do recently, making for a welcoming and very useful distraction. While tinkering with various devices on his earth's S.T.A.R. Labs, he at least had a brief respite from thinking and most importantly, _feeling_. He was just about done with the latter, still not able to sleep at nights, so naturally he was spending all of his time in the lab, giving Jesse a headache as she was so worried about him.

He didn't even raise his head from the thing he was working on as he knew there was only one person who could pop in and out through a portal without any warning and that was Cisco. In the end, Wells was just glad the guy always chose the same place to create a breach, because if Ramon followed him around, he might be in danger or being caught in a bathroom and none of them wanted _that_.

"Harry, we need more. Any other ideas about the canon you might be hiding up your sleeve?" the younger man asked without a proper greeting as he took off his goggles and made his way to his friend sitting by the work table. "It's still not enough to get Barry out."

Harrison hadn't actually found out about Allen sacrificing himself and accepting his penance in the speedforce until Ramon popped into his earth the first time around. Yet, he couldn't care less. In fact, he didn't care about anything those days, having lost the one thing that was the most important to him, the one thing that held him together. Now he found himself thrown off balance and didn't really know how to exist anymore.

"I gave you everything I had, Ramon," he eventually responded harshly, his hands still holding the tools.

"How's being with team Flash on this earth working for you anyway?" Cisco went with then, seeing that as always, he couldn't really reach his friend and that hurt more than he was willing to admit. Today might be a better day, though, he thought. Because today he actually had some good news. He was just waiting for the right moment, not sure how to even breach the subject.

"They're bunch of idiots," Wells responded in his typical fashion.

"Yeah, that explains you're always working alone when I come to see you. Why don't you just go home with me, Harry?"

"I already have a home."

"That's not what I meant. You're not happy here and I can see that."

"Yeah, and you know why that is exactly!" Harrison answered in a hostile voice. In fact, every time Cisco touched upon the topic, he only got more defensive.

Well, the younger guy figured, it was now or never. Otherwise he might never get through to him.

"I found her," he simply said and in that moment something finally changed. Harry dropped the tools, but yet still refused to look up.

"What?" was all that came out of his lips and Cisco could tell that he was doing everything in his power to remain calm and contained.

"And here's a newsflash for you, Harry. She's Caitlin again. _Our_ Caitlin."

There was silence during which Wells just sat there, frozen. Eventually, he responded with, "You're lying and that's a new low for you, Ramon. We both know that if she were really…" he released a ragged sigh before finally continuing. "She would've come here with you if that had truly been her." He raised a shaky hand to his forehead to rub there as sudden pain shoot throughout his entire body, starting at his chest and exploding in every other direction. It was only getting harder for him instead of easier, the wound always bleeding, always opening up in the least expected moments. Because every time he thought of her, of his Snow, of her smile, of the way she looked at him… he couldn't take it. He couldn't believe she was just gone. It was supposed to be him leaving first, he thought, considering his age, not her. Never _her_. She was never supposed to leave him!

"We both know I wouldn't lie to you like this, Harry," Cisco said in a soft voice and after a brief moment of hesitation, he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, squeezing gently. "I don't know why she hasn't reached out already. I guess you're just gonna have to ask her that yourself. But we both know her well, don't we? She didn't forget about you or any of us, Harry. She's probably scared, ridden with guilt. She hurt us all and she hurt you the most. She probably doesn't have the courage to face us just yet."

"Or she hates me for not respecting her last wish," Harry said in a resigned voice.

"I highly doubt _that_ ," Cisco disagreed immediately. "She's alive and back to her old self. She must've taken the cure, so don't tell me it wasn't worth it if we can have her back. If _you_ can have her back… Harry, I know you're hurting…" he tried one more time, seeing that the man was just sitting there, not moving. Maybe he just needed time to process.

"You have _no idea_ what I've been through!" Wells suddenly raised his voice when standing up and turning around to face Cisco. Needless to say, the guy was startled by the sudden outburst.

"I know! I know!" he quickly followed with when raising his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "All I'm saying, man, is that you won't know until you see her. Harry, come on! It's your Snow! We both know you have to see her. You won't move on or get any kind of closure otherwise. Or maybe you'll find something you didn't expect. Maybe you'll find something amazing there. You just have to go and see her. Please. Here's the address, so… whenever you're ready…" Cisco took a folded piece of paper from his pocket and left it on the table. Then he opened a breach and left.

All Harrison could do in the end was to just stare at the paper before he finally picked it up with a shaky hand.

* * *

It'd taken him exactly an hour to compose himself and then to open a portal for himself in the breach room, eventually arriving back at the S.T.A.R. Labs on Earth 1. He didn't show up in the cortex, though; just left his stuff in his old room, trying to ignore another pang of pain at the memories of him living there before Snow had asked him to move in with her. Whatever Cisco might've said to him, this still wasn't home. _She_ was. And he would be damned if he didn't get her back if there was even a smallest chance of that. If he didn't succeed, then he wasn't sure whether there would be anything left of him in the end, but he didn't care. He loved her too damn much and this was his chance. His very last one.

He was surprised that he actually arrived at a bar, frowning at the piece of paper Ramon had left him. Then again, the guy wouldn't deliberately mislead him, not in _this_ , not when it came to Snow. His hope got a little squashed when thinking that Caitlin wouldn't work in such a place, at least not _his_ Cait, so maybe in the end he didn't really know her anymore. Maybe Ramon was wrong.

Eventually, he took a deep breath and walked through the door, noticing her immediately. In fact, his eyes didn't see anything else but her lean and gorgeous figure behind the bar. The room was filled with people, mostly men, but he didn't pay any attention to them, slowly making his way towards the counter, his eyes never leaving her, taking in her attire that was a tight white shirt and ripped jeans. Even this seemed off as he'd never before in his life seen Caitlin Snow dressed like this. So maybe she truly wasn't his Snow anymore. Maybe she was something else. Though the ice and white hair were gone and she seemed to have no problem touching various bottles behind the bar as none of them froze underneath her fingers.

The closer he was getting to her, the harder his heart was beating and he truly thought he was too old for this, that one of those days, maybe even today, depending on how this meeting went, he would get a heart attack. He was almost fifty, after all.

She stilled when he finally reached the bar and took the free seat, his hands shaky so he decided to keep them to himself for now instead of leaning against the counter. His heart only fastened, threatening to jump straight out of his ribcage when he saw her turn as though in a slow motion until her eyes met his. In that moment, something changed. He felt pain again. Pain shooting throughout his chest, but it wasn't because she didn't care. It was quite the opposite, actually. There was something in her eyes, something that seemed so, so familiar it ached. She had trouble composing herself at first and that was another sign that this, indeed, might be his Snow.

He desperately wanted to say something, anything, but somehow he couldn't seem to. He could just sit there, stare into her eyes and watch them slowly fill up with tears.

When he finally opened his mouth, ready to ask her the one question he was so desperate to get the answer to, they were suddenly interrupted.

"Is this old creep bothering you?" someone asked from his left and he immediately bristled, feeling offended before it was all replaced by sadness. _Old creep?_ Had he really aged so much during those last few weeks following her disappearance that them being in love seemed so wrong and off to people? Then again, it wasn't as though he'd ever cared about what people thought of him, so he just brushed the guy off by finally speaking, "The lady's fine."

He wished the first words out of his mouth after such a long absence would actually be directed at her, but oh, well.

The man was still there, though, looking at Snow expectantly.

"It's fine. He's more than welcome," she said and Harry's head spun on hearing this familiar and dear to him voice. What more, he didn't even know what to do with _what_ she said when using it. She must've still been in love with him, right? Otherwise she wouldn't have…

The man lingered a bit, still, so Wells just shot him a look and he finally left.

"Why didn't you reach out?" the question was out of his mouth before he could stop it and when he looked back at her, they were both surprised by it.

There was a short pause before she answered, seeming not to be able to look into his eyes, but in the same time she couldn't stop.

"I was… ashamed," she eventually confessed, finally lowering her gaze as though indicating what she just said. He didn't answer, waiting for more, actually bracing himself for it and trying not to think how right Cisco might've been. "I know I broke your heart, Harry," she added, close to crying, her voice shaky. "I… God, I can't do this here," she suddenly said then when briefly looking into his blues, her hazels all in tears. "Can we meet after my shift is over, please?"

He was disappointed and relieved in the same time. He really wanted to keep talking to her, to connect with her again, to get to know every little detail of how she'd gotten herself back, but he might've needed some time to calm himself down as well.

So, in the end, he just nodded, swallowing hard and running a shaky hand over his mouth.

"When?" was all he asked.

"I… Oh, no," she gasped. "I can't do this… I can't…"

Before he knew what was happening, she turned around and left through the back door.

 _No,_ something screamed inside of him. He would not let this go now that he was finally talking to her! Not when she was back!

Without a second thought, he simply jumped over the bar and followed her, hoping no one noticed that.

He caught a glimpse of her leaving the building and fastened up, catching up with her outside.

"Where are you going?!"

"Harry, just… not now!" she yelled with her back turned to him, her hands made into fists. She seemed to be struggling with something and he couldn't grasp what it might be.

"I just want to understand what a woman with two fucking doctorates and a PhD is doing in such a place!" That was it, he thought once screaming all of that. He officially lost it. So much for a calm conversation. Then again, she was the one who fucking ran away from him and he wanted to know _why_!

"You just crossed a line, pal!" they heard a voice coming from the door and Harry spotted there the guy from before.

He charged to attack when he suddenly screamed in pain, ice flowing his way and he made a step backwards, doing his best to avoid it.

"I thought I made it clear for you, Norvak, to stay away from him!" Killer Frost screamed at the intruder, her hair white, the eyes icy cold.

And Harrison could just stand there and gape at her, by now not even able to feel anything, so shocked he was. He truly thought she was back. He thought that _his_ Caitlin was back and now _this_? He couldn't wrap his brain around it all, actually feeling dizzy.

Norvak, as the man's name must've been, retreated, his hands raised up in the air, the door closing behind him and once Harry looked back at Frost, he saw her transform right in front of his bloody eyes. Barely a few seconds passed and she was back to being Caitlin.

"You wanted the truth?" she asked, shame and pain both clear in her voice, "so you got it. Happy?"

"I… I'm not following," he admitted, perplexed. "Are you Killer Frost or…?" the second name refused to get past his throat, so scared he was of the answer, of her shutting his hopes down, yet, once again. _That_ he wouldn't survive and they both knew it. Or maybe rather Snow would know it as he was sure Frost didn't really care.

"The cure didn't work," she provided him with the unexpected answer. "Or at least it only worked half-way. I am me, Harry, I'm just Caitlin, but… whenever I'm angry or scared, she comes forward and takes over."

It took him a moment for that to sink in, but in the end he decided it was still the best news he'd heard for a very long time. And suddenly, everything seemed to fit into place.

"Can you control it?" he eventually asked.

"Yes," the welcomed answer came. "Most of the times, yes, I can. So don't you worry, Killer Frost won't be making any surprised appearances. Well, unless you piss me off or terrify me to death," she tired joking, but then instead of a smile in her eyes, he again spotted tears. "Oh, Harry… I'm so… I'm so sorry I didn't reach out. I really am. I just… You don't deserve this," she pointed herself. "You don't deserve two people occupying this body. It's too much. I just… I wanted to find a permanent solution first. I wanted to fix myself first," she admitted, by now crying for real and his heart reached out to her. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to just make her his again.

"I don't care," he said to her astonishment. He couldn't possibly keep his distance any longer, he couldn't possibly stop himself. He walked straight to her and cupped her face, forcing her beautiful eyes to meet his. "I _love you_. I always have and I don't care if there's still something wrong, Snow. I want to be with you. It's you and me against the world, against fate, remember?"

"But… but I hurt you," she sobbed just then, shaking underneath his touch, craving for his body to be hers so badly, yet still trying to deny that herself, because she felt as though she didn't deserve it. "I broke your heart."

"No," he disagreed. "She did. You fought bravely till the end and if someone's to blame here… Allen ran back in time and gave you those powers. I ripped that necklace off of you even though you asked me not to. We are all to blame and I think it's time you should forgive yourself, because I forgave you a lot time ago. In fact, there was _nothing_ to forgive, Caitlin, because it wasn't your fault."

"Well," she finally said, emotions overcoming her completely, "I did fight. For _you_. Always for you, Harrison. I made her take the cure," she revealed. "I wish I convinced her sooner, but…" her words were cut off by his lips that crashed against her, drinking her in as though he was dying of thirst on a desert. And maybe he was. And he was finally back home, he finally found his oasis again and he would be damned if he let her go one more time.

She kissed him back, desperate to feel his lips on hers, desperate for his touch, but then she only cried harder both from happiness and heartache and he ended up kissing off those tears before sweeping her into his arms, finally embracing her, feeling her fitting there perfectly.

Yes, he would most definitely never let her go ever again. _Ever_.

"Snow?" he eventually asked while they just stood there together, embraced.

"Yeah?" her voice came out muffled as her face was pressed against his jacket, breathing all that was him in and basking herself in it.

"Can we just go home?"

* * *

The door to their apartment opened and Harry let her in first, closing it behind them, watching her as she crossed the hall to get to the living room. It'd been so long since she'd been there that the sight of this place, of the place where they'd actually lived together for a few months, caused her heart to ache. But he was there with her now as she immediately felt him pressing against her back and she leaned into his body, reveling in the warm and alive feeling of him, not able to believe that they'd both been through hell and back. That somehow she'd lost herself along the way, become this cold monster who'd hurt him more than anyone in this world.

She knew now about HR's death and Barry being trapped in the speedforce and she felt so sorry for both the men and for poor Iris who'd just lost the man she loved, for Tracy… So much tragedy. And she'd taken part in all of it.

"No," Harry then denied, releasing her from his arms as he turned her around to be able to look her in the eye. "None of that, Snow. It wasn't your fault. You fought bravely and for as long as you could."

"I sold you all out to Savitar."

"No," he disagreed again, "Killer Frost did."

"But how is this possible that this unknown being, this… completely separate metahuman is living inside of me? It must be me somehow… I just…" She bit on her lip when trying to figure that out. "I've been actually thinking about it a lot recently."

"I don't know," he admitted, running his hand through his hair, messing it up and creating a very tantalizing sight for her. "I admit it bugs me, too, but she must be separate from you, because nothing about her is like you."

"Maybe we could eventually work this out."

"And we will," he assured her, reaching to her and brushing her hair behind her ear. "At some point. Just… just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Together till the end?"

There it was. A first real smile that appeared on her face and it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, he thought when reaching to her and kissing her slowly, gently, savoring her lips before deepening the kiss and tasting her, discovering how much he missed this. Nothing mattered anymore. Not Killer Frost or HR's death or Allen stuck in the speedforce. At least not for now. Now they had this. They could finally reunite properly, erasing all those bad weeks prior and leaving them behind, embracing this new reality, embracing the new problems and staying together through them all. Still, something told Harry that the worst was already behind them.

Before they knew it, they found themselves in the bedroom and Harry slowly began undressing her, getting himself reacquainted with every inch of her body, kissing every part of her skin while she was trying to take his clothes off as well, finally succeeding and having him naked right over her, kissing her again before his lips traced down, down until he licked her navel, causing her to giggle briefly before settling his head between her legs and working on her properly, bringing her to her first climax this way, using his lips, tongue and fingers.

She was still dazed, coming down from her first high when he got up, finding her lips again, letting her taste herself while settling his pelvis between her legs, already being so hard he nearly couldn't take it.

"Do I seem old to you?" he suddenly asked then and she stilled, her eyes focusing on his face as she burst out laughing.

" _What_?"

"That guy… Norvak? He called me an old creep."

"Just because he has the hots for Killer Frost and she hates him, always icing him."

"Well… but that doesn't…"

"Harry," Caitlin cupped his face and locked her eyes with his, "first of all, you have nothing to be worry about when it comes to Killer Frost and her guy preferences. She wouldn't be able to date any even if she wanted because her kiss kills. Second of all, I will never think of you as old. You're simply mine and you always will be."

"Good answer," he hummed in appreciation when finally lining up and entering her, both of them groaning loudly at the sensation since it'd been a while.

"Oh, I missed you so much," Caitlin moaned straight into his lips as he pulled back and pushed in again, releasing another heavy groan, her hands holding onto his already flexed arms tightly, enjoying the texture of those gorgeous muscles.

"Me, too… Me, too… I love you so… so much…"

They lost their control pretty fast, both being so needy that the sex grew desperate and highly emotional, not to mention the moment they finally reached their peak together, just staying in each other's arms afterwards, not able to believe, yet, that this was real.

Eventually, Harrison did slip out of her and turned to his back, Caitlin ending up with her head pillowed on his chest.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Snow," he felt the need to apologize, draping one of his arms around her as he pulled her closer. "I know you told me to let you go, but I…"

"It's ok," she assured him when looking up at him. "I understand, Harry."

"I don't regret it," he told her. "Despite all the pain and the hardship, I still don't regret it, because I finally got you back. I just feel like I need to say it… so you wouldn't hold it against me. I went against your wishes, but I couldn't just let you die. Not when there was still hope."

"There's nothing to forgive, because I am _glad_ you ripped that necklace off," she reveled and then she sat up before moving to straddle him while meeting his blues again. "I was weak in that moment, but you were strong for me and for that I will be eternally grateful, Harrison." She cupped his face when leaning forward on his chest. "I love you for it. So that being said, let's just leave it behind us."

"You got it," he agreed hoarsely and was immediately glad for the distraction of her kissing him since he was in a danger of losing it again.

He felt himself harden once more instead and she took him inside her in no time, rocking slowly against him, making slow and sweet love to him.

It still wasn't enough. He still needed more, so he sat up, his arms embracing her as they moved together. For now nothing existed or mattered but them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, did I make up for the last chapter?


	26. Chapter 26

Caitlin had to admit she rather liked this position, though it was strenuous as her legs were high up in the air and hooked over Harry's shoulders. He was crouching on the bed, driving into her, causing her to see stars and so, so much more than that. His muscles were flexing and shining with sweat from all the exertion and it only created an additional stimuli for her. Not that she actually needed one, but it was welcomed all the same because she loved both his body and soul so much.

When her orgasm finally ripped through her, leveling her completely, she didn't even know where she ended and Harrison began or whose limbs was whose. Her head and arms fell back to the bed as he unhooked her legs and then lay down beside her, his chest raising and falling as rapidly as her own, both of them being completely out of breath and in need of a shower.

"It's official," he finally panted out when his voice returned, "one of those days you'll kill me, Snow. I'm too old for this."

"What are you talking about?" she asked with a frown, looking aside at his still so impressive body. "You're healthy and extremely active. There's nothing wrong with some additional exercise," she told him and he chuckled.

"You're just saying this so you could use me some more."

"Of course I am. But it's also happens to be the truth," she teased him and then moved closer, snuggling up to his side, his arm automatically reaching for her and taking her in. "I missed this, you know," she then said when kissing the salty skin her lips happened to be the closest to.

"Yeah," he agreed with a sigh. "Honestly, I'm still kind of waiting to wake up," he confessed.

"Well, Harry," her voice grew serious, their position unchanged, her hand drawing random patters over his chest, "things aren't exactly perfect. I'm still hosting Killer Frost, so you have to know you're wide awake. In a perfect world, in a… dream, all you'd get back would just be me alone."

"Things _are_ perfect to _me_ ," he argued, meeting her eyes, her own watering slightly. He immediately reached to wipe a tear that flowed down her cheek. "Well, tell me," he then prompted, "what exactly you've been doing for the last few weeks."

"Oh…" she hesitated, her hand ceasing to move over his skin. "I… I'm not too proud of _that_ ," she finally said, but didn't reveal any details.

"Snow, come on. You know you can tell me anything and I'll never judge. I will only always love you. Unconditionally."

"And then you just have to say stuff like _that_ , don't you?" she sighed and came to a stop. "God, I missed this so much… I don't know how could I…"

"I thought we were past this," he reminded her, his hold on her tightening and then he reached to the top of her head to place a soft kiss there. " _You_ didn't. It was all _her_."

"Still, I should've fought harder…"

"I told you once that you were the strongest woman I've ever known and I still stand by that notion, Caitlin. I saw your struggle. I saw how you fought. No one could have done a better job."

"I…" she started and stopped, clearly trying to find the right words, to put it in a way so he would understand. "I wanted to get back to you as soon as I forced Killer Frost to take the cure, but… half-way to the Labs I just couldn't do it, Harry. She took over again and I was terrified that this time it would be forever, that the cure didn't work and that was it. That I would be forever trapped in there with her."

"So… you are still there with her when she takes over?" he asked, his arms tightening around her some more.

"No. I thought I would, but in the end I just woke up with no recollection of what happened and all this time missing… I decided to take another approach, find some solution to how I could control her better so she wouldn't resurface again. I found… Amunet Black."

"Who's that?"

"Basically a criminal. Black market dealer and I know that going to her and asking for help was stupid, but I was running out of ideas."

"You could've called your mother."

"I did."

"Oh?"

"There was nothing she could do for me anymore, but she was happy it was me. I promised her I would get all the control back. She sounded… weird, though, I don't know. Like she wanted to tell me something just then, but when I prompted what it was, she changed her mind."

"Maybe she wanted to ask about me," Harry guessed and chuckled. "She's actually grown quite fond of me."

"You don't say!" Caitlin finally changed her position, supporting herself on her elbows, so she could have a better view at his face.

"We bonded over the cure."

"I bet you did. Anyways, I heard rumors that Amunet Black might be in the possession of a technology that could help me, so I reached out to her. It worked, Harry. I think I finally started to gain more control. Killer Frost still comes up to play whenever I'm in danger, when I'm nervous or scared, but I'm dealing with that. At least it's better than not being here at all. Sadly, I couldn't get back just yet. She owed Amunet a few favors in exchange."

"Oh, please, tell me you're done helping that woman. Please, tell me there's nothing more she wants from you."

"I wish it were that simple. We're pretty much even, but it's not so easy to just leave her with no consequences. I guess I would have to deal with it as it comes at me."

"If you need any help…" he immediately offered.

"No, Harry," Caitlin denied right away. "This is my mess, so I will take care of it when the time comes. She won't hurt me, so don't you worry. Well… she won't hurt Killer Frost, but same difference, right?"

"Not quite, but I get the point."

"So… what now?" she asked and he was silent for a moment, trying to understand what she meant by that. "We're just gonna pick up where we left off?" she hinted.

"I don't see why not. I mean… We've pretty much started on that already." He pointed their naked state.

"That's not what I mean, Harry. Am I supposed to just show up in the cortex?"

"We do need to get Barry back, you know. And I'm sure you can help with that."

"I probably can, but… I guess there's just so much I need to make up for…" her voice trailed off as she clearly started remembering all those things when biting on her lip.

"Hey," Harry followed with, his hand going up to her face and his thumb releasing the abused lip, gently rubbing the spot afterwards. "Snow, that wasn't you, ok? You have absolutely _nothing_ to make up for. If so, they should be grateful you fought so well."

"I wish it were that easy. Once they see me… all they're gonna remember will be _her_."

"Hey, none of that," he disagreed again when pulling her closer and kissing her slowly before saying, "You had no problem with seeing _me_ despite the face I'm wearing."

"That… that was… different," she tried to argue, but she saw that this fight was already lost.

"Yeah? How is it different, exactly? Let's just get up, take a shower and show up for work, shall we? Even if it's late."

* * *

Caitlin's heart was pounding like crazy when she walked into the building and headed towards the elevators alongside Harry, her hand in his. In fact, the closer they were getting to the cortex, the more she was holding on to him, desperately fighting the urge inside of her, telling herself that she wasn't terrified, that Killer Frost couldn't possibly show up now, that her villainous alter-ego had no business here. She couldn't possibly screw this up. She wouldn't.

Her heart stopped hammering so viciously in her chest because Cisco was the first person whom she spotted there and he actually smiled widely to her, happy that she was back and that Harry was there with her. She was sure the late hour did not miss his attention and he knew exactly what that meant. In the end, he even winked at her and then, when she finally crossed the threshold, he walked straight towards her to give her a hug.

"Girl! I'm so glad to have you back! We need you!"

"Um… no, we don't and what the hell is she doing here anyways?!" they suddenly heard a very hostile voice and that was Iris.

 _Oh, boy_ , Caitlin thought, _here we go._

"Iris, I just want to help," she slowly turned to the woman after Cisco released her from his arms.

"Dude, what's your deal?!" he attacked the woman and Snow cringed, because she so did not want that to happen. "You know how much we need her!"

"Iris, I am truly sorry for everything I did while being Killer Frost…" Caitlin started then and was again immediately interrupted, this time by Harry.

"That wasn't _you,_ damn it! So stop apologizing! Killer Frost should be apologizing, not _you_!" he argued and she actually shot him a look. He seemed to understand that she didn't want the team to know that Frost was still a part of her. At least not now. They had too much on their plate already.

"I know!" Iris yelled to their surprise. "It's not what I meant! Where have you been for the last few weeks?! We needed you _then_!"

"Well, she's here now," they heard Joe's voice coming from behind them and they all turned to see him just arriving at the cortex. "Caitlin, it's nice to see you… well, being _you."_

 _"_ Joe, I am so sorry about Cecile. I never meant…"

"Seriously, Snow!" by now Harry begged. "How many times…?!"

"It's ok. It's all forgiven. I know that you, Caitlin Snow, m.d., would never try to hurt any of us," Joe assured her and she smiled at him, eventually hugging him as well before Cisco pulled both her and Harry aside.

* * *

After helping Cisco with the canon and quite unsuccessfully bringing Barry back, Caitlin finally arrived at her old lab, feeling drained and defeated. One step forward, two steps back, right? And they were so sure that they would save Barry. In fact, she still couldn't understand what had gone wrong.

She sat behind her desk and started checking her drawers at random, eventually coming across a Valentine Day's card signed by HR in Harry's name.

She stilled, sitting back and staring at the piece of paper, remembering the man and feeling like crying.

"What are you doing?" she heard Harry's voice coming from the door.

"Has Iris calmed down already?" she just asked with a sigh.

"More or less. Ramon can't seem to get her, but I understand. She's still in denial. It's easier for her to actually hate Allen for leaving rather than accept that he's gone and might not be coming back."

"I'm truly sorry you had to go through something like this with both the women you loved," Caitlin told him when meeting his eyes as he crossed the room to get to her.

"She did, too, you know. If I remember correctly. Eddie, was it? Anyways, stop. Snow, please, just _stop_ , ok? I am so done listening to your apologizes. In fact, I'm sick of them."

"Fine," she agreed, because quite frankly, she was sick of thinking about what had happened as well. She had to look into the future. That was a much more pleasant place to be when not even the present was satisfying enough for them as they couldn't get Barry back. Maybe the speedforce was smarter than all of them combined in the end, after all.

Harry stopped right behind her, his hands reaching to her shoulders, massaging them gently. It was then that he saw what she was looking at.

"I feel sorry that he died," Caitlin expressed herself. "Even more so when I…" she came to a stop and then quickly corrected herself, "when Killer Frost had a hand in it, too."

"Actually, it was all Savitar," Harry argued.

It was then that tears started to flow again.

"You know, I… I've never… I've never grieved HR properly, too busy with Killer Frost, too busy missing you, Barry…"

Harry leaned forward and put his arms around her, letting her get it all out.

"He was a good man," he finally admitted, meaning HR. "In fact, a much better one than I could ever be."

Caitlin knew how difficult it must've been for him to admit that, so she truly appreciated it. Still, she disagreed, "No. You were the same at your core."

"And yet, you love _me."_

"Strange, isn't it?" she teased him, choosing to go with a lighter note. "I should've gone for someone who was actually _sweet_ …"

"…to the point of being sick?" Harry followed with and she swatted him playfully on the chest when turning around in her seat.

In that moment, they heard Cisco's voice coming through the comms.

"Guys! Cecile said they got Barry on the precinct!"

Harry and Caitlin exchanged surprised glances before quickly heading for the door.

* * *

One step forward, two steps back.

Caitlin could as well take that as the team's new motto, because so what that they had Barry back if he wasn't their Barry? She was actually very puzzled as she was just now watching him interact with the rest of the team, nothing working to restore his mind so far. The strangest thing was that he was in a perfect health and technically, there was nothing wrong with him. Well, other than the lack of an actual _mind_ since he was talking gibberish, if _this house is bitchin'_ phrase was any testament to that.

Right now he was mumbling something about diapers and Cait just pressed her hand to her forehead, rubbing there since she was really out of ideas.

"Are you sure it's not something else?" she heard Harry's voice coming from behind her. "Something we haven't thought about yet?"

"But what? I ran every possible test. There's just… there's nothing wrong with him, Harry."

"Yeah," Harrison sighed and then brought his hands to her arms, running them up and down gently. "Nothing makes sense anymore, does it?"

Snow agreed, but he still couldn't help but think that there must be more to this stage of Barry's mind. Maybe something connected to the speedforce. It wasn't as though they had the means of actually testing it with the mysterious samuroid on the loose as Cisco had deemed him before.

In the end, they all agreed that Barry would be the safest in the pipeline as he accidentally started superspeeding and it was Caitlin who had to ice him down when using the cold gun. Luckily for her, she wasn't particularly rattled, so there was no danger of Killer Frost making an appearance.

* * *

"Does the phrase _this house is bitchin'_ mean anything to you?" Cisco was just now asking stunned Barry whereas the rest of the team were both happy to have him back and even more confused by his lack of memories following his disappearance into the speedforce. It was actually Iris who'd brought the Barry they all knew and loved back by almost sacrificing herself to the samuroid. To Caitlin, her friend's brain was still a mystery and an even bigger one now than before, because how he could just jump from having no recollection of what was happening around him to knowing and remembering them all but not being able to tell what had happened to him in the speedforce? In the end, they just decided to let it go and not question their blessings that were definitely her and Harry being back along with Barry freed from the speedforce and the samuroid taken care of. For tonight, the city was safe and tomorrow was another day when they would all show up for work, ready for another crisis.

No one questioned her being herself again, thankfully, so she didn't have to lie or worse – tell them the whole truth. She trusted the team since they'd become her family, but she wasn't sure how well they would take the fact that Killer Frost was still a part of her. That was probably a conversation for another day – or maybe just for sometime in the future.

"So, you're afraid of telling them or just wanted to leave that piece of news for later?" Harry asked the moment they came back to their apartment, him finally managing to grab the bag he'd left in the Labs before and send a message to Jesse that everything was all right and both Snow and Barry were back on the team. Also, needless to say, he wasn't going back to Earth 2 anytime soon. "Oh, wait…" he then himself came to a stop when Caitlin took off her leather jacket and headed to the kitchen. "You don't want them to know. Why is that? You must know that they're going to accept you."

"Me, yeah," Snow said. " _Her_? Not so much."

"Caitlin, you can't honestly think they're going to start looking for a better cure just to be sure Killer Frost is never going to hurt anyone else," Harrison argued when following her.

"I don't know, Harry. I guess not. I just… I need some time to deal with it all. I don't think they're ready to hear the whole story about me and Killer Frost and… well, Amunet."

"They love you just as much as I do… ok, no, that came out wrong," he then said, "because no one and I will say this again, _no one_ loves you as much as I do."

That finally did it. She smiled at him brightly and he was kind of hoping for a kiss, but instead she just turned from him and reached to her bag.

"I'm going to give you all the time you need, Snow," he added, a little confused to why exactly she refused to get all cuddly when normally it was never a problem with her. "Snow?" he then followed with a frown. "Are you even…? What is this?" he asked, seeing that she was handing him something.

"This, my dearest dr. Wells, is your brand new ID," she informed with a huge grin. "Apparently, Cisco called Felicity when we were both gone and she cooked this up. You're officially a long lost twin of Harrison Wells, so technically, you can make a life for yourself here. You can… well, stay, if you want to."

For a moment there, he was simply speechless, not knowing how to react to _this_. Honestly, they'd begun talking about fixing his small identity problem before, but with Killer Frost there was never any time to actually get down to it. And now it was simply done. He was holding his new ID in his hands and…

" _Harold_?!" he suddenly exclaimed in horrification. "Are you kidding me?! Couldn't Felicity and Cisco come up with something better than this? Wait a moment… it was totally Ramon's idea, wasn't it?! He just had to have this one!"

"Relax," Caitlin said, trying really hard not to burst out laughing at the expression on his face or actually snap him a picture, so she could show it to Cisco. "You couldn't possibly keep the name Harrison. You don't exactly name twins the same, so be glad that it still starts with H."

"Glad?! _Glad_?! Couldn't Ramon at least give me some normal name like Tom or…"

"Harry, seriously," Caitlin cut in when reaching to him and placing her hands on his, "it's just a name that you're gonna use officially. You're always be Harry to us."

Eventually, she managed to placate him and make him see the bright side, which was no more ball cap, no more being careful what shop or restaurant or public place he visited. He didn't have to hide anymore and that was truly all they needed to start a life together for real.

And what kind of a life it would be! Caitlin thought with a smile when she finally kissed him. They would have a wonderful life now that the worst was behind them.

And maybe she was right. Maybe the _worst_ _was_ behind them, but it didn't mean they were out of the woods. There were so many things that were, yet, to happen. And none of them could do anything to stop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All righty. I'm sorry. I know I already used the name Harold and the twin story in my other fic, but it's really the best way to fix this small identity problem.


	27. Chapter 27

"Seriously, what's going on around here?" Cisco asked out loud when he passed by what seemed to be Barry and Iris in the middle of a spat. "Oh, dear God!" he then exclaimed when next he walked into the cortex straight into Harry and Caitlin making out in the middle of it. "I mean… gah! Guys! No! This is too much!" He held up a hand. "Can you just leave _that_ to when you're actually alone? _Please_! People work in here!"

Harrison moved away from Snow with an amused expression on his face.

"We weren't doing anything as so to speak… _contaminate_ our work place, Ramon."

"Sure, sure, yeah and I so do not want to hear more about _that_!" Cisco followed with immediately, not able to stop waving his hand in front of his eyes and making crazy circular gestures with it. "Seriously, guys, do you think I actually _want_ to see you two make out? Gah! Nah! It's like I'm living in some crazy twisted version of all of this! Barry and Iris arguing and you making out _here_! This is so not happening!" he didn't stop bantering, choosing another way out of the cortex and disappearing in, yet, another room.

"He's right about one thing, you know," Harry pointed out when turning back to his lovely partner.

"That we never actually kissed so much in front of people?" Caitlin asked, not able to hide the smile on her face. Ever since she and Harry had gotten together, things had been truly amazing. In fact, they'd been acting and pretty much feeling like some newlyweds and they weren't even the ones who were engaged!

"No. I actually meant Westallen having problems. That's off."

"Yeah, I suggested seeing a couple's therapist that I once went to with Ronnie, so everything should be fine soon," Caitlin provided him with the information as though it was no big deal.

"Wait… you did _what_?" Harry just had to ask, because he wasn't sure he even heard that right. "Oh, so you _are_ serious! Snow!" Apparently, it was his turn to start laughing and he couldn't actually stop.

"Hey!" Caitlin got mad and gently punched his arm. "Therapy is nothing to make fun of! Besides, it seemed like a good idea at the time! It helped me and Ronnie."

"And what exactly were your problems, if I may ask?"

"You know, just like Barry and Iris's! We found it difficult to work together when we started dating."

Harrison nodded a few times, the amused expression still there on his face and then he placed his hands on his hips when looking Snow in the eye. "You know what? I wonder when was the last time _we_ actually needed a therapist," he said. "Oh, wait! We never did!"

"What can I say?" Caitlin just asked, finally getting his point and reciprocating his wide smile. "We're Harry and Caitlin. We're perfect."

"I wouldn't be able to put it better myself. Come here."

"Um… I'm not sure _here_ is… oh, all right…"

* * *

Even with a tech meta on the loose, killing off his ex friends for stealing his idea, it felt so good for the team to be working together again. Just now Caitlin, having figured out the computer virus actually was more like a biological one, was working on synthesizing a concoction that would temporarily neutralize the meta's power, therefore making it possible for them to capture the man and put behind meta dampening bars.

She was just finishing with her work when Harrison walked in, making a straight line for her and snuggling up to her back when putting his arms tightly around her. In fact, their 'honeymoon' stage was not even near close to an end after they were reunited, so things quickly escalated and his hands moved up from her stomach to cup and massage her breasts and when she didn't protest, it didn't take much for them to take things even further.

Soon enough, Caitlin was sitting on her desk, her pants gone, legs wound around Harrison's waist as he was moving inside her with slow pushes for now. She pressed herself harder against him, needing more and more with every passing second, enjoying the love making, her hands going up to his back and sliding underneath the sweater he was still wearing, scratching the skin as he fastened up, groaning deeply in his throat and then telling her how much he loved her.

"I love you… too… oh… oh, God… yes…!" Caitlin quickly followed with and he felt her starting to come, so he sped up some more, allowing himself to reach his peak as well and groaning heavily again when…

The door suddenly opened and they heard Cisco's scream, "OH, MY GOD! NO! GOD, NO! _SERIOUSLY_?!"

Both Caitlin and Harry were so surprised that they froze, not knowing what to do, but in the end they both knew there wasn't much room for movement. If they did that, Cisco would definitely see more that just Wells's naked backside…

Thankfully, the door closed as quickly as it opened and when Caitlin was finally able to release her breath, she hid her face in Harry's sweater, mortified to the bone.

"Please, tell me that did not just happen," she begged him.

"I'm afraid I can't, Snow. Then again, it wasn't _your_ body parts Ramon saw!"

"Oh, who cares about body parts! He totally saw us having sex on my desk! In my lab! Oh, my God… this couldn't possibly get worse!" she yelled, quickly jumping off said desk, so he was forced to slip out of her and put his pants back on. She followed, yet that didn't make her feel any better. "How am I going to look Cisco in the eye now?!"

"Well, in our defense, the door was closed. He should've knocked instead of barging in."

"Well, yeah, but he did! He probably wanted to ask about the cure! Damn it!" Snow's hands went up to cover her red face.

And just then, Harrison started laughing.

Caitlin put her hands down, placing her on her hips instead as he laughed and laughed.

"Are you done?" she eventually asked, but couldn't help but join him eventually as well. As she thought of it, this whole situation must've been the hardest on Cisco… Oh, my…

* * *

After one improved-NOT version of Barry's suit as Harry called it, of course; and almost failed mission, _almost_ resulting in Flash's death; they were ready to head home for the night. Yet, before Caitlin did that, she just had to address…

"Cisco, listen… about what…"

"Oh, no. No. No. No." Her friend started waving his hands again and Harry was just watching him in amusement from the other side of the cortex where he was waiting for his girlfriend. "I so do _not_ need a reminder of _that_! I have a hot date with Gypsy tonight and I don't need…" he glanced briefly at Harry, " _that_ in my head! Goodnight! And please, never get back to it _ever_ again!"

"Well, Ramon, for our defense, the door was locked and any normal person would kno…" Harry started just to spite him, but the younger man didn't listen, gone in a jiffy.

"We've scarred him for life, haven't we?" Snow turned to her lover.

In response, he only shrugged and then reached his arm to her.

"He's a grown up. He'll get over it. Then again, I can't believe he was actually collecting mechanical magazines in high school, so maybe not."

"Yeah? And what were you collecting in high school?" Snow wanted to know as they moved together out of the cortex. "Or was it sooooo long ago that you have no recollection of it whatsoever?" she teased him.

"Really, Snow? _That_ again? But to answer you, yeah, you're probably right. I shouldn't make fun of Ramon if I did similar things. Only I was collecting everything about physics and relativity that I could put my hands on."

"God, man, you should really chill sometimes and pay some more attention to things that really matter," Caitlin advised him.

"I do that with you and Jesse, don't I?"

"You got that right. Speaking of, when's she going to visit us?"

"Oh… yeah… I got a note this morning and it's not very pretty."

"Why? What's going on?"

"You'll see."

* * *

And Caitlin did see.

Or maybe rather not, because once Jesse popped in the next morning and hugged both her and her dad, telling them how happy she was for them being back together and that everything was moderately all right; she finally risked a glance in Wally's direction. Which was weird, Caitlin thought, because the guy was standing there like a complete doofus, juggling a huge teddy bear and flowers in his hands.

"Yeah, that's our cue," Harry warned her. "We should leave." He grabbed Snow's arm and pulled towards the door.

"What?" Caitlin asked in surprise. "But… why?"

"Trust me, Snow. You so do not want to be here right now."

She seemed to know what he was implying just then because she obediently left with him.

"You're gotta be kidding me! She's gonna break up with Wally?!" she asked Wells, stupefied.

"Well, he's not moving to Earth 2 and she doesn't want to live here anymore, so… yeah, pretty much. Besides, she's too busy being the Flash on her earth and bonding with her team mates to find some additional time to be with another speedster who's equally busy and…" Harry started enumerating.

"Ok! Ok! I get it!" Caitlin had to raise her voice to get him to stop. "And despite all those really well-grounded arguments, I don't believe that if she really wanted to be with Wally, they would stop her."

"Right." Harry just nodded. "So there you go. She doesn't want to be with Wally. Big Belly Burger?"

"Harrison Wells!" Caitlin called after him as he started making his way to the elevator.

"What?" He turned on his heel, a surprised look evident on his face.

"You're not at least bothered by the fact that your daughter's just now breaking Wally's heart? I mean, the poor guy…"

"I know. Poor _guy_. It's not her who's getting her heart broken, so that's a plus, isn't it? _What_ _now,_ Snow?" he asked when she just shook her head, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Nothing," she said in the end when coming over to him and taking his hand. "I just thought you've changed a little those last few weeks, but I think I was wrong. You're the same old Harry you always were."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No. I guess not. As long as _you_ don't break up with _me_."

"Oh, you know me. I may be a little rough on the edges and sometimes… ok, most of the times I don't really care about other people's feelings, but I will always without a doubt care about yours and my daughter's."

"Well, I guess that's gonna have to suffice," Caitlin joked, but it was true nonetheless. She was simply reminded of the infuriating man she'd fallen for at first. Though she'd gotten to know Harrison of Earth 2 a lot better since then, there was no changing that behavior. But it was all right, too. Because she loved him unconditionally.

* * *

With Gypsy gone to Earth 19 so soon, yet, again, Cisco wasn't exactly in a good mood, especially not after seeing Barry and Iris back to being all coupley in addition to already sickeningly sweet Harry and Caitlin.

"Oh, my God! Can we please stop smooching and actually take care of this?! We now have two new metas and there's no way their powers came from the particle accelerator!"

There was sudden silence as every pair of eyes in the room focused on him. Well, minus Joe who'd just had to get Barry to run him back home because Cecile had a problem. Just another couple added to the mix, Cisco sighed, really hating the fact that this morning he hadn't woken up next to Gypsy because she had to go back home. Sucked either way.

"You should just start with that. Of course we have to get to the bottom of this!" Harry backed him up. "Let's go!"

"But…" The younger man was actually surprised at how easily his friend agreed to leave Caitlin's side.

"What?" Wells asked. "I'm not some adolescent who never has enough of… oh, wait… on second thoughts…" he hesitated just then and Cisco rolled his eyes.

"Yes, please stop right there!" he interrupted immediately. "I am very aware of how much of a… sexual… appetite… you got…" He did realize how wrong it sounded when Barry, Iris and Caitlin shot him surprised looks whereas Harry just stood there all cocky… Oh, wait, Cisco thought again, _wrong_ word. "Why can't you just wait till you get home?!"

"Simply put, Ramon, it's called _excitement_. You should try it sometimes," Harrison easily explained, not at all affected by what he heard and having no shame. He liked teasing the guy way too much. "You know, once you stop being such an old man," he added on second thoughts.

"Yeah?" Cisco just asked. "Look who's talking!"

"Hey! Harry's is _not_ old!" Caitlin felt the need to stand in her boyfriend's defense and Cisco just rolled his eyes at that before gesturing to the exit.

"Cait, can you _please_ break up with him or at least get a break?!" he still threw her way on his way out. "At least _then_ we could get the mean, permanently pissed and miserable Harry back! So much easier to be around!"

"Sorry, man! Not gonna happen!" she responded and Harry actually winked at her before leaving with Ramon.

* * *

Just like that, they were back to leading dangerous lives, Caitlin thought when rushing over to the particle accelerator after Harry and Cisco stopped Hazard from destroying the city.

"Are you all right?!" she asked when she turned a corner and finally saw them.

"Yeah. I'll be totally fine. Nothi… oh, right, you meant _him_ ," Cisco grumbled when Cait made a dash for the other man and threw her arms around him. Ramon quickly turned his eyes away, another vivid picture still in his head. Though, as he thought of it some more, he was happy for his friends. God knew the both of them deserved the best and maybe he should just tell them that, but… on second thoughts, he risked another glance and they were kissing. Nope, he would most definitely save that for their wedding if _that_ ever happened. For now, he was expecting a message from Gypsy, confirming her next visit…

"Snow, seriously, I'm fine," Harry assured her when breaking the kiss and then looking at the room. "And we effectively scared Ramon off."

"Don't worry about Cisco. Are you sure you're fine? I heard you were zapped and…"

"Yes. Nothing fried anywhere," he assured her and then his expression changed. "I actually might have an idea… Come!" He pulled her towards the cortex.

* * *

"There must be one person standing behind it all. The samuroid, us releasing dark matter on the city when rescuing Barry, creating all those metas… Wally leaving when Barry just got back…" Cisco basically repeated everything Harrison just told them. "Interesting theory, but it still doesn't take us anywhere near figuring it all out."

"No, but at least it's a start," Harry argued.

"So, what now?" Caitlin wanted to know.

"Now we do everything in our power to seek those metas out before they do damage to the city."

* * *

"This… this is like a honeymoon phase, isn't it?" Caitlin asked breathlessly right after coming. She and Harry were pressed up against the wall in her lab again – this time the door was secured and locked, though – for purchase. "Seriously, Harry, we _have_ been insatiable recently, haven't we? Cisco was right. Not that I'm complaining. Or… maybe we're celebrating Cecile's pregnancy right now as we've just learnt the news," she suggested, her hand still around his neck, caressing the slightly damp from exertion hair there. In fact, he was still breathing hard against her, still coming down from his climax, all hot and shaky against her and she loved every second of it.

Only the moment the last words left her mouth, he stilled.

"Wait… celebrating someone's pregnancy by having sex ourselves?" he finally asked, raising his head from the crook of her neck and pulling away slightly to look her in the eye. "What do you mean?" She could sense a slight panic entering his voice. "What are we doing here exactly, Snow? Are we getting pregnant? Right now?!"

"Not to my knowledge," she said. "Oh, God, Harry, _relax_ ," she then followed with, amused by his reaction. "Still protected here."

"Well, good. I mean… I didn't mean… I mean… Are we actually having a baby talk right now?"

"No!" she denied fiercely and put him aback. "Oh, God," she groaned, her head falling to his shoulder. "We're awful at this, aren't we? I just meant that we can't possibly be even having such a talk since I'm still frosty, so there's no way I'm getting pregnant while hosting _her_."

"Oh, ok."

"And I guess we've been… so active lately because there's finally no heavy burden on our shoulders anymore. Well, ok," she raised her head, looking at him again, "there's this mysterious person who wanted us to get Barry back and in the process give powers to some people, but we haven't figured that one out yet and Killer Frost hasn't made any appearance so far, so we can breathe for now, right?"

"Agreed. Though you've probably just jinxed it as Ramon would say. And we did need some quality time alone after the whole Disney thing," Harry followed with. "I still can't believe Barry actually wants him on the team…"

"Hey, you _never_ like the new guy!" Caitlin pointed out.

"That's not true!"

"Really? Mention one that you did like."

He thought about it for a while. "But that's hardly fair. All the new guys were HR and now Disney."

"And Julian," Snow provided, "and you hated him, too."

"Well, he did hit on you."

"And stopped right the moment you told him about us being together. Besides, he helped with the cure."

"Which failed and then he moved back to England, so at least there's one positive thing happening."

Caitlin just shook her head with a smile.

"What? What is it?"

"Nothing. I just love you," she told him before leaning forward to kiss him again.

"Sometimes I really don't understand you," he said against her lips and then she stilled. "Snow?"

"You do realize you're still inside of me? I can't believe we've done all this talking in this position!"

"Wait, what…?" he asked, finally making a step back and slipping out of her. "Are you honestly telling me you've noticed this just now? I know I'm not hard anymore after we… well… but even though, you _had_ to feel that. I'm not exactly… Hey! Why are you laughing?!" He got mad, because she, indeed, burst out laughing.

"I am making no claims that you, mister, are small. Quite the opposite, actually. You're perfect for me in every way. Now, have I satisfied your ego?"

"Ego? What are you…? There's no ego!" he huffed when looking around the room for his pants which he eventually located and put on.

"Besides, I just meant that it was nice," she explained, putting her own clothes back on. "Let's go home now."

"For a round two?" he asked with hope in his voice.

"Nope. To sleep," she said, but honestly, he couldn't tell whether she was really being serious.

"Just give me a sec. I have to check up on something in my lab and we can go," he told her and left the room before her.

The moment Caitlin walked into the corridor, she nearly bumped into Ralph.

"Oh, you're still here," she said in surprise.

"Um… I came back, actually."

"Did you need something?"

"Yes. In fact, in my Ralph Dibny fashion I wanted to pay you back for putting me back together today, so what do you say for dinner? I mean, come on, look at this!" He pointed his chest and stomach. "Ralphie boy is baaack and you can be the first woman to actually experience this changed bod…"

"I suggest you stop talking right now," they heard Harry's threatening voice coming from behind Dibny.

The guy turned around, surprised to find the older man there and then that surprise only deepened when Wells made a show of walking over to Snow and putting his arm around her in a possessive gesture.

"Why does every new guy have to hit on you?" he asked her. "And you're still wondering why I hate them all!"

"Wait… you're together?" Ralph asked, his eyes opening widely. "Seriously? Like together, _together_?" he still made sure.

"Are you done?" Harry just asked in a voice that could kill, not to mention the look he sent Disney's way.

"Um… no judgment there or anything," Ralph added quickly when reaching his hands out to them, "it's just… you, girl, can do so much better!" He pointed himself again.

"Oh, please, just stop talking," Wells said almost in the same time when Caitlin spoke, "I really don't think so," and that alone placated him enough and made him smile at her.

"Ok, we're gonna go now. See you never, Disney!" Harry threw the younger man's way.


	28. Chapter 28

"You, dr. Wells, totally jinxed it!" Caitlin argued with Harry as they were making their way to the Labs. Although, technically this time it wasn't actually to _work_.

"How's going to a bachelor party jinxing anything?" he asked, not understanding her at all. "And you know that I'm only dropping by for Allen, but don't tell him that."

"Harry, seriously, it's no secret to anyone anymore that you _love_ everyone on the team… ok, except Dibny…" Snow corrected herself immediately.

"Who, apparently, was not invited," Harrison provided happily.

"Anyways, I was talking about DeVoe."

"Whom we haven't even managed to find yet, so don't work yourself up over that mystery, ok? Maybe he's not as formidable an opponent as we think he is and… What did I say this time?" he quickly asked on seeing the look on her face.

"Nothing, you just probably totally jinxed it _again_ ," she informed when placing her hands on her hips to which he only rolled his eyes.

"As I already explained to Cisco, what you call bad luck, in fact is…"

"Ok, ok, hold it right there," Cait immediately reached out a hand to stop him. "I don't need to hear _that_ right now. Just… try and have some fun tonight, ok? And… yeah, on second thoughts, be the voice of reason. The guys are gonna need it!"

"Always am," he assured her when learning forward to kiss her. "Oh, and Snow?" he still called after her when she started off towards the place where she was to meet the girls for Iris's bachelorette.

"Yeah?" She looked at him.

"Don't you worry about that writing on the door, ok? You're gonna be just fine."

"Thanks, Harry."

"And if you need any help, just call, ok?"

"No need for _that_ ," she assured him. "You just go and enjoy showing your face in public!"

She was relieved when he finally believed her and disappeared, though truth be told, she had been a little on edge ever since she and Harry had arrived back at their apartment the other day and seen that writing on her door that Amunet wanted her back. In any other circumstances Caitlin might actually consider leaving the city, but she couldn't now because she had Harry and she would be damned if something affected the life they were leading now. In fact, she was determined to fight for her freedom.

* * *

Which in theory didn't exactly go as planned, but in the end, with some girl power, they managed to free Caitlin – or maybe she should say Killer Frost – from Amunet's clutches. The problem was that she seemed to have jumped from one crisis to another since now Iris, Cecile and even Felicity knew about her double identity problem. Surprisingly though, it was Iris who stood up for her and defended her, not even demanding she took care of her frosty problem once and for all and Caitlin couldn't truly express how much she appreciated that, really hoping the friendship between her and the woman would only grow stronger.

At the end of this crazy night, Harrison – when not counting Iris – seemed to be the only one not at all surprised by seeing Killer Frost turning into Caitlin in the middle of the cortex and whereas the men were just staring, he walked straight to her and said, "I'm glad you finally came clean to them all."

It was actually Iris who eventually convinced her that she should do it and Caitlin couldn't be more grateful for that as well.

"Yeah, me, too," she responded when looking at him and sending his way a loving smile.

"Wait… so you knew?" Barry asked, still hangover and seeing him like this was truly amusing to Cait. Not that she would admit it since the poor man must've been really sick after the miscalculated concoction Cisco had made for him. Snow even wondered why no one asked her for help. If she'd prepared the liquor, she was sure Barry would have never suffered like this.

"Newsflash Allen!" Wells called to him when he moved with her towards the exit, "I know everything there is to know about my lovely lady and now I am going to take her home."

"Have fun banging _that_!" Ralph called after them, which caused Harry and Caitlin to frown and Cisco to follow with, "Please, Ralph, just don't," in a feeble voice as he placed his hands on his head.

"You know what, Disney? I will!" Harrison responded after a moment of thinking about it and then chuckled underneath his breath when he heard the groan coming from Ramon. Oh, he had so much fun teasing the guy and it was all his fault, really! No one had told him to barge in without knocking the other day!

"Please, tell me he's still drunk," Joe said.

"You know, I don't think he was drunk in the first place," Ralph pointed out and then all the voices died out as Harry and Cait were far enough down the corridor.

"Are you going to torture Cisco forever?" Caitlin asked when leaning into Harrison's side when he put his arm around her.

"He did this to himself! Anyway, how was your night?"

"Iris asked me to be her maid of honor!" she just had to tell him that and he chuckled. "What?"

"Nothing," he said with a smile when shaking his head. "It's just… it's so… female of you to be happy about _that_ after fighting Amunet Black and revealing Killer Frost to the team."

"Oh, stop it!" She playfully bumped into his side. "So what? I can't be excited about someone's wedding?"

"Well, yes, you most definitely are allowed to be," Harry said, a strange expression appearing on his face as he started thinking about something.

* * *

This was getting ridiculous, Caitlin thought, knowing she should focus on uncovering the newest meta's mystery and how the woman could control effigies, but finding herself unable to focus. It was all because Harry stubbornly refused she met the Council of Wells as Cisco had named them. At first, Cait was happy that he found some friends outside of his usual circle, but then it was Cisco who actually made her realize those were all different versions of Wells from the multiverse. Well, all right, she could live with that, too, having already gotten to know and liked HR, the loss still painful whenever she thought of the man. Although recently she'd suspected it might've been so hard on her just because HR wore the same face the man she loved did and the last thing she ever wanted was to lose Harry. Then she reminded herself that life was and would always be full of risks no matter whether she was a part of team Flash or not. She just wanted to meet that famous Council and every single time she suggested Harry should take her to a meeting, she was met with blatant refusal. She even accused him of being jealous. Maybe all those doppelgangers of his were actually charming and he was worried she would take to them as he always did and with no real grounds. She always told him that if she'd been with him this long and seen every pretty and ugly side of him, he truly had nothing to be worried about, but maybe it was rooted so deeply inside him that her words weren't enough to make him believe that. She wished he finally accepted himself for the man he was and saw all the amazing parts of himself that she already did.

Eventually, she simply decided to just sneak into the lab in which he was entertaining the Council with Cisco. She was done waiting for his assent.

It so happened that she probably chose the worst moment possible, because when she walked inside, she was immediately struck by four Wellses there – one of them her own – yet, her eyes did not settle on him. She focused them on the long-haired Wells who stood right in front of Harry… without his pants on.

"Oh, my God!" Cisco immediately yelled, covering his eyes. "No! No! You… You cannot do that to me! I'm done! That plus… oh, no!"

The doppelganger finally put his pants on. "I don't know what the big deal is! You, guys, are so stiff! We've all seen it!"

"I haven't!" Cisco squealed and Caitlin started to laugh. She just couldn't help it.

"Oh, my apologizes," the previously naked Wells now spotted her and showed at least a little of decency.

"No need to apologize to _her_!" Cisco called out. "It's me you should be apologizing to! She's seen it all! Oh, my God! No! _NO_! That plus the other time… No! You, guys, have officially broken and scarred me for life!" He pointed at Harry and then at Caitlin. "And that's still not enough! For the whole freaking _eternity_!"

"Actually, yeah, don't apologize for my account," Cait said to the new Wells as she stood right next to Harry, choosing to ignore Cisco. "I have seen and touched and… um… wait… I mean… I didn't want it to come out as… um… sorry…" All the eyes in the room were set on her now, even Cisco's, whose face was by now white as paper.

"No!" he eventually denied one more time. "Not _that_ in my head! Oh, God, have mercy on me!"

"Oh, hello," Snow suddenly spotted the Wells 2.0, not able to help herself as she took a closer look whereas Lothario Wells just followed with, "Seen, touched… What did you want to say next? Kiss it all? Maybe with some sucking involved? Or licking? Like a lollipop? Come on! We're all Wellses here! Do tell, sweetheart!"

Caitlin only frowned, put aback whereas Cisco groaned, covering his face with his hands.

"Ok, that's it. I'm cutting them off," Harry decided in that moment and all his doppelgangers disappeared.

"Okaaay…" Snow then started slowly, wincing. "I see now why you didn't want me to meet them. It had nothing to do with you being jealous!"

"What?!" Harry seemed appalled. "Of course I wasn't jealous! They're all idiots! I can't believe I thought this would work! This was such a bad idea!"

"It's like your junk has been burnt into my brain," Cisco complained, still pale.

"You're welcome," Harry growled at him angrily and then he just left the room.

"Oh, don't be such a sissy, Cisco," Caitlin said to her friend, barely able to stifle the laughter that threatened to escape her. "Besides, I'm pretty sure the show is over for you, because you ain't gonna see this." She pointed her own body, hoping he'd laugh at her joke, but his expression remained the same. In the end, she only sighed. "What's his deal anyway? Why is he like this?"

"And you're asking me why?" Cisco seemed surprised. "Girl! It's _your_ man!"

"Yeah, but this week you've actually been spending more time with him in the Labs than I have, so?"

"You saw it for yourself. He can't possibly make new friends that aren't wearing his face and even them he hates. I swear, it's like he hates himself! And like he can't accept the person he is."

"Yeah," Caitlin admitted to his surprise. "I've noticed that before. I've been trying to show him how amazing he is, but…" she bit on her lip, "sometimes he can just be so stubborn. Maybe you should try for a change?"

"Wait… me? Are you kidding me?"

"You're his best buddy, so maybe he needs to hear it from someone who isn't in love with him like me? Cisco, please? For me?"

The guy released a heavy breath before he finally agreed.

* * *

Snow had no idea how Cisco did it, but he somehow came through and Harry actually did reach some understanding with his doppelgangers. She made a mental note to thank her friend since they got the right man and Barry made the decision to immediately pay DeVoe a visit. That should be interesting, she thought and quickly discovered she wasn't wrong there as their apparent opponent turned out to be a middle-aged man in a wheelchair. Then again, it wasn't as though they hadn't been fooled by someone like that before…

…and in the end, those suspicions turned out to be very much true. There were a few moments during which the whole team suspected Barry was going crazy, not knowing who DeVoe truly was and it gave an explosive mix with the stress resulting from his upcoming nuptials, but he turned out to be just right.

The problem was that they had no idea what Clifford DeVoe's plan was just yet and had to wait to find out. In the meantime, as Iris stated, they had a wedding to prepare for.

They all slowly dispersed. Joe and Cisco took Wally suit shopping whereas Iris pulled Caitlin aside for her last maid of honor dress fitting. Barry was just about to follow the guys when he spotted Harry's eyes lingering on Cait's retreating figure, the look there couldn't have possibly been mistaken for anything else but pure devotion and love.

"You know, I've see that a lot," he spoke to the older man.

"What?" Harrison blinked a few times before he focused his eyes on the younger friend, shifting from foot to foot and sticking his hands into the pockets of his pants. "What do you mean, Allen?"

"That look in your eyes every time you see Caitlin. I saw that in the mirror pretty much all my life whenever I thought of Iris."

"Yeah, your point being?"

"That you two have something special and you should do something about it."

"Well, I am. I'm with Snow, aren't I? I moved to this earth to be with her," Harry informed, still not getting the point.

"That's not what I meant, Harry. This life… this constant fighting metas, new enemies… it makes you appreciate what you have and the people close to you so much more. If you truly love Caitlin and by the look on both of your faces, I know you do, you should put a ring on it. Life is just too short." After that, Barry left the cortex without waiting for Wells to respond.

Only in the end Harrison was left speechless, because it was like Allen had just read his thoughts. He had actually been thinking about _that_ for quite some time now.

* * *

"Oh, my dear Caitlin," Martin Stein welcomed her as she stepped into the room to have a talk with him. "Tell me, how have you been?"

"Actually… quite well," she admitted when taking a seat near him.

"The last wedding we both attended was…" he started, a hint of melancholy in his voice.

"…was mine," she finished for him, trying to recall the event itself, but despite having no problems in that department the Caitlin that she had been then seemed so much different from the Caitlin she was now and she didn't mean it by hosting Killer Frost.

"But you're happy now, right? With dr. Harrison Wells?" Stein prompted, curious about that one. "I was a little surprised when I heard the news, but as long as it's what you want, my dear…"

"Yes," she answered him immediately, flashing her teeth in a wide smile. "I'm actually happier than I thought I could ever be, professor Stein. I don't know what I would do if I lost him. I love Harrison so much… and it's…" she stopped for a moment, pressing her lips together as she thought about it some more. "Maybe this will sound wrong, but… it's different somehow, you know? And not in a bad way. In fact, it's different in a good way. Like… like I'm more mature now than I'd been _then_ , like I finally know _exactly_ what I want and need and I have it."

"There's nothing wrong with finding your place in life, my dear, and with loving someone completely. I know the feeling quite well and it's truly something special. Nothing should stop you now from taking the next step, right?" he then hinted with a smile.

Harrison didn't hear Snow's answer, damn it! It was wrong of him to listen under the door, but he couldn't help it. Though in the same time he couldn't make his presence known now and check the look on her face once Martin Stein asked that question. Then again, he seemed to have heard enough, so he retreated quietly before making a fuss about going down the corridor.

"Snow, they're waiting for us," he informed his partner when nodding at Stein who nodded back. "We have to get to Westallen rehearsal dinner."

"Sure, Harry," Snow responded with a smile on her face. "Professor Stein? Do you want to take a ride with us?"

"Thank you, my dear, but there's something I need to take care of here first. I'll be there soon enough."

"Ok." She smiled at him again, not able to help it. Barry and Iris were getting married, there was no danger right now and she was happy with Harry. What more could she possibly ask for in this crazy life of hers?

"She is special, that one," Martin told Harrison when the man was just about to leave. "Take care of her, will you? She's been through enough hardship and pain."

"The both of us have been," Harry just said before he nodded at the older man and followed Snow.

* * *

"Are you ok?" Caitlin asked when she handed Harry a glass of champagne.

"Um… of course, why would you even ask that?" He pretended everything was fine, but she was the one who was right. He was beyond nervous because right now seemed like the perfect time for this little question he had for her, the small velvet box already tucked safely in the pocket of his jacket. All he needed to do was…

"Oliver! I don't want to marry you!" He stilled on hearing that, his hand half-way into his pocket as all the pairs of eyes in the room now focused on the couple in the corner that were Oliver and Felicity.

Harrison sighed, resigning from his plan. He couldn't possibly ask Snow _now._

"Awkward," he just hummed under his breath in the end, directing that to Cisco who was watching the whole scene with his eyes opened widely.

"Dude! Tell me about it!" the younger guy agreed, touching his glass to Harry's to prove it.

"I'm gonna go check up on Felicity," Caitlin decided and the evening was pretty much ruined.

_Go, figure,_ Harrison thought.

* * *

Seeing her by the altar, standing up for Iris, all happy and smiling brightly at him once she found him in the crowd… he truly wanted nothing more than to make her his forever. He wanted to be the groom, too. He, Harrison Wells, wanted to marry Caitlin Snow and he didn't care if it sounded sappy. He was finally ready to take that next step. It was finally the time for him to fully move on, to embrace the amazing thing they had and to make a real life for himself on this Earth. He already had a fixed identity here, so it was only natural that he would finally ask her whether she wanted to marry him and something told him there was only one answer to that question.

Though right now that answer would have to be Iris and Barry's as they would soon say the sacramental _I do_ to one another.

_Or not,_ Harry thought, actually not surprised at all that the wedding was interrupted by Nazis.

Something always had to happen, didn't it?

 


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the **big** chapter I couldn't wait for you, guys, to read!

* * *

He was truly getting impatient, waiting for her to come back from the church and actually starting to rethink this whole playing a hero thing when getting everyone out safely. He should've played a hero by staying and making sure _she_ would be all right, but then again, he'd seen it himself, Killer Frost had taken over, so there was really nothing he could do but trust her to keep Caitlin's body safe.

Finally, he heard some commotion and then he saw them coming back.

"Are you all right?!" both he and Snow seemed to ask at once when running towards each other, Harrison's arms immediately closing around her small figure. All he wanted to do in that moment was to just grab her and escape to Earth 2, but he knew that was out of the question. She wouldn't abandon her friends in their time of need, especially not when having the means to actually help them by using her powers and he couldn't do it either. He cared too much about them all, damn it!

In the end, they settled for interrogating the man Oliver and Barry had brought in and who turned out to be the doppelganger of Queen's old and long dead friend. That alone made Harrison think, connecting the dots and when they were all back in the cortex, he was ready to present them with the story of Earth 53.

* * *

After Tommy Merlyn's of Earth X suicide, they all dispersed to work, still grasping in the dark to what the Nazis' agenda was and who was the mysterious archer with the girl that could fly just like Kara. Caitlin, all dressed up into Killer Frost's favorite attire, refused to leave Harry's side, so it was a good thing that they were currently working together with Stein. At least until Jackson showed up, wanting to speak with the professor alone. Then she basically had to drag Wells away from the room.

"Come on, Harry," she said, "this isn't about you."

"No," he agreed as he finally followed her down the corridor, "but I was curious."

"Since when you're the peeping Tom?" she wanted to know and he had half a mind to tell her that he'd already eavesdropped on her and Stein before, but in the end he decided against it.

Soon, he didn't even remember what he was thinking, because she suddenly pulled him to the nearest room that turned out to be an empty and dark lab.

She pushed him against the wall and then pressed herself into him, her arms going around his side as she did so, face resting just below his neck.

"Snow?" he asked, feeling perplexed, though he hugged her right back out of mere habit.

"I'm just scared, Harry. The truth is that ever since I regained control over my body after what happened in the church, I've been struggling to keep Killer Frost at bay. I'm just so scared. What if…" she came to a stop, breathing him in deeply before continuing, "What if this is too much? What if we can't win this one?"

Harry sighed as he held her in his arms, gently stroking her hair before he finally pulled away, cupped her face and locked his eyes with his. They more or less got used to the dark by now, so it wasn't difficult to find her hazel irises.

"We are going to get through this just like we always get through things, ok? It's you and me against the world."

"And fate," she added with a small smile.

"Exactly." He pressed his forehead against her own and closed his eyes, deriving strength from their proximity and then he kissed her. He didn't mean it to go any further than the mere touch of his lips against hers in the dark, but being alone did the trick and before he knew it, he was already tasting her and turning them around so her back was against the wall for a change.

Their kisses were frantic, hard, nearly bruising as she fumbled with his belt when pushing her own pants down her legs, not bothering with taking all of their clothes off, just settling for a quickie they both seemed to be in such a need of to reassure each other that they were in this together, that they were alive and they would fight for them and their friends. They could survive anything thrown their way, Harry thought when groaning and then finding his way inside Caitlin, sliding in fast and hard as they continued this frantic groping in the dark.

"I love you," she told him when it was over and he was still inside her, both of them waiting for their heartbeats to calm down.

"I love you, too. _Always_ ," he promised and after fixing their clothing, they finally made it out of the room and into further action.

* * *

She knew they shouldn't have left each other's sides. She just knew it, damn it! And he just had to leave anyway to grab something from his lab!

Well, right now Caitlin was watching Harry being attacked by a Nazi. He did manage to hit the alarm button to warn them all, but was eventually stuck down and in that moment blind fury overtook her, not to mention fear for his well-being and she just lost it.

A moment later she was no longer herself. She was Killer Frost.

And Killer Frost knew that she had to save Harrison Wells if she wanted to be in the team's good graces and especially Caitlin's. Also, she kind of didn't want anything happen to the man as well, but pushed those thoughts or maybe rather _feelings_ – _Caity's feelings_ – out of her mind.

* * *

Harry woke up to a terrible headache, recognizing that he was lying on the ground in the corridor and vaguely remembering that he'd been knocked down by a Nazi. Luckily for him, he'd managed to hit the alarm, so he could only hope the rest saved themselves in time.

"Snow…" escaped his lips as he remembered of the one person he cared about the most. He truly hoped she was all right and if he wanted to keep her that way, he knew that he also had to take care of his own self since she wouldn't be able to go on if she lost him. He knew that because it went both ways.

"I'm sorry, she's not here right now," he suddenly heard an ice cold voice with an unmistakable note to it.

He opened his eyes widely and found himself face to face with Killer Frost.

"I am so glad that Caity's taste in men has improved," she voiced her appreciation, not able to keep her own treacherous emotions in check.

He frowned on hearing that, not quite able to believe she just said such a thing and in a moment of crisis.

"Oh, really?" he responded in the end, managing to sit up with his back against the wall. "And that comes from the person who actually tried to kill both me and Snow."

"Well, if it's any consolation for you, _I am_ sorry," Killer Frost surprisingly apologized. "Let me take you out of here, ok? She would like you to be safe."

"No. Better go and help the rest. They're gonna need it," he told her while heaving himself up, though not without some trouble. He then felt her hands on his shoulders, helping him and he met her eyes with his stunned blues.

"On it," she just said and was gone.

Harry was looking in the direction she disappeared to, struggling to understand what just happened.

* * *

By the moment Caitlin woke up again, Killer Frost was long gone and she was… She frowned on raising to her feet and looking around.

"Um… guys? Harry?!" she called out in an unsure voice, finally recognizing the space outside her _cage_ as the pipeline. She had a very vague memory of being here before when Killer Frost had tried to take over for the first time. Despite the obvious danger, those times seemed to be easier as Caitlin actually remembered _something_ at least whereas now it was all just blank.

"Snow! Caitlin, are you all right!?" she finally heard Harry's voice and she breathed out in relief as she found out that he was alive.

"Me?! Harry, you were knocked out! Are _you_ all right?"

"Ok! Ok! Let me stop you right there before you go all lovey-dovey!" she immediately heard Cisco's voice. So he was finally awake as well, she thought.

She was just opening her mouth to say something to that when her cage suddenly moved.

"What the…?" she asked.

"Snow?! Snow, what's going on?!" Harry called out.

"I… I don't know! The cage's moving! I… They must want me for something!"

"No, wait! Snow! Snow! Hey! HEY!" Harry started screaming and pounding against the glass wall of his cage. At least that was what she gathered by the sounds of it. "Take me! Leave her alone and just take me instead!"

Sadly, no one seemed to care and eventually his and also Cisco's terrified screams died out as her cage was settled in place, revealing…

"You," Caitlin gasped, making a step backwards. There was a glass wall between them, but she still felt like she had to put as much distance as possible. "Barry mentioned you were working with the Nazis of Earth X. How are you even…?"

"…alive?" Eobard Thawne, dressed in the Reverse Flash suit and wearing the face of Harrison Wells, finished for her. And that hurt the most. That face. It brought way too many memories, memories which she didn't exactly associated with the man she loved. Memories that belonged to the past, because no matter the similar looks, she could always tell by his eyes whether he was _her_ Harrison. "Oh, come on, Barry must've explained that, too if he already mentioned me being here."

"What do you want from me? You need my medical expertise or something?" she asked with a frown, still rattled, but doing her best not to show it and in the same time fighting the influence of Killer Frost she was already feeling. She couldn't possibly turn now, because then she wouldn't have any recollection of this conversation. And she _needed_ to be conscious for _this._

"Actually, no. I don't need you for anything anymore, Caitlin."

"Then why did you bring me here? Just to chat? Don't tell me you suddenly felt the urge to catch up," she provoked him and was quite proud of that, folding her arms over her chest as she did so.

"For such a bright woman, you can be so blind sometimes, Caitlin," he just said and it unsettled her. In fact, she didn't like the way he was looking at her at all. It was as though she was something he couldn't have, the strange longing in his eyes causing her stomach to twist.

"Wait a second…" she gasped, suddenly realizing the truth.

"There you go! You know, I always wondered about the future," he began telling her. "When I first arrived here and found you, imagine my surprise at what Gideon showed me. Caitlin Snow-Wells. For a moment there, I even thought you and me would eventually get married, considering the pull I felt for you."

On hearing that, Caitlin felt her mouth go dry. He quite successfully rendered her speechless.

"What?" he asked, an amused expression appearing on his face. "Don't tell me you never thought about it! At least back when you didn't know who I really was. You did desire this body, didn't you?" He pointed at himself and she remained silent, choosing not to answer, still processing the information he'd just given her and wondering whether it was even true. "It was only later that I realized the Harrison Wells you were going to marry wasn't me. It wasn't even the man I killed in order to inhabit this body. Oh, no. In fact, I did not see _that_ coming. I so didn't see Harrison Wells from Earth 2 causing you to completely fall in love with him. And definitely not when I actually realized what kind of a personality he had. Again, I guess life has a way of surprising us sometimes, doesn't it? Even when you're a speedster from the future, so therefore you shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore."

"What are you going to do to me? Are you going to kill me?" she asked, close to losing it because she started to be afraid again. What he just said made perfect sense. Of course she would eventually marry Harry and take upon his name whereas leaving her own be so she could honor her beloved father.

"Oh, no. I have other plans."

"Are you going to kill him, then?" She hated that her voice did waver a little there.

"Whether you are willing to believe it or not, I _am_ still quite fond of you, Caitlin," he surprised her again and she felt Killer Frost retreating, curiosity winning over fear. Nothing he said made sense anymore. He was a monster, yet he cared for her? Was that even possible? "I will leave you be. I won't move a finger to help you in anything, though, so you're going back in there," he pointed the pipeline. "It was nice to see you again. You are even more beautiful then you were the last time we saw each other. In fact, I am quite happy that Raymond is out of the picture. He could never match your in any way and you were only wasting your time with him. So, this is probably farewell, Caitlin Snow-Wells, the mother of two. Well, provided you live long enough to bear Harrison Wells of Earth 2 two kids, a boy and a girl, or… provided _he_ lives that long. Excuse me now, time to go." He sped off before Caitlin managed to open her mouth and then she felt the cage moving back into place.

She soon heard Harry and Cisco's voices calling her again once they realized her cage was going back, but she was rendered speechless, just standing there, her back pressed against the wall as she struggled to breath evenly, as she struggled to deal with all the emotions the new information from the Reverse Flash evoked. As she had to fight Killer Frost again.

Married? Two kids? What… How… With Killer Frost still there?

She wished she could've understood it all and… _Oh, crap_ …

"Caity is fine, boys, so keep it down, will you?" Killer Frost finally responded to the calls.

"What happened to her?! Why was she scared?!" Harry immediately followed with, at least relieved that Snow's body was intact since he could hear her alter ego.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" he just got in frustrating answer.

* * *

After the Legends arrived, saving the day and releasing them from their prison, Harrison didn't even have the time to think about everything that was happening around, he could only act. Caitlin hadn't made an appearance, Killer Frost holding on strongly and he couldn't blame her, really, since even he had to admit that she was needed so much more right now than his beloved one. What bothered him, though, was that ever since released from the cages, he couldn't seem to get rid of her as she followed him everywhere, even to the spaceship he and Cisco took for a spin to fire at the enemy. He finally did have a respite when she was more needed down on the ground, but she still made a quick comeback when carrying two of the Legends on her ice slide straight to the enemy mothership so they could disarm it and eventually blow up.

Needless to say, it was quite an eventful day and before it was all over, somewhere along the way Harry actually lost his grudge against Killer Frost and started cooperating with her. It wasn't until the war was over that he stopped to realize the fact and felt kind of guilty. She had taken over the Caitlin and almost killed him as Savitar had commanded her once, but then again, he had to take into the account the fact that she was a freshly born meta who suddenly found herself thrown into Caitlin Snow's body and couldn't find any other way to control the host. All Killer Frost initially wanted beside hurting other people was to survive and be accepted. Well, maybe exactly that was also the reason to why she'd gone bad at first.

Harry still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that this completely separate from Caitlin entity just happened to live in her body, sometimes taking over. Where had she even come from? What did she want? How had she come to be? He truly started wondering whether he'd ever get his answer. He hoped so.

Suddenly, he realized she was nowhere to be found and just because of that, he knew that Caitlin still hadn't made her comeback. If she did, she'd be right by his side for sure.

* * *

The moment Cait was back, she was still overwhelmed with the news she'd heard. She wished she could somehow talk to Eobard again, find out more details and then an idea sparked in her mind. Before going to seek for Harry, she made a detour and ended up in the time vault.

No one had used Gideon for quite some time, all of them deciding they wouldn't ask her about anything, especially not the future. Not after they managed to save Iris from a terrible fate. Though right now Caitlin felt like she needed to know. She needed to find out whether The Reverse Flash was just playing her.

It wasn't until she arrived in the room that she realized she wouldn't be able to activate Gideon on her own. Well, it must've been her lucky day or she was simply meant to check her future out, because the computer was live. Barry must've been using it since all the information about Thawne were on display at the moment.

"Good evening, dr. Snow," Gideon welcomed her and Cait nearly jumped on hearing the voice. "How can I be at service?"

"I would… I would like you to show me my records from ten years in the future," Caitlin finally asked, getting her voice under control, although inside she was still shaking.

And there it was.

Ten years into the future. She would be forty two then.

Her mouth hung open when she saw a picture of herself and Harrison and… just like Thawne had told her – two kids.

How was this even possible? She worked her mind over the fact and was tempted to ask Gideon for more information, but in the end she decided against it. She knew that nothing good ever came out from messing with either the past or future, so she decided she would have to just let it be. The picture would have to suffice. And what kind of a picture it was! Harry had one of his arms put around her, pressing her into his side as he usually did when they were together, and the two kids, that must've been very close in age, stood right in front of them, both the parents' free hands rested on each of their shoulders. She couldn't take her eyes away from their faces, seeing how perfect the boy and the girl were, how alike both her and Harry. And Harry… even when being sixty, he was still so handsome and so hot that she wondered how that was even possible. Maybe it was true what they said. Maybe it was love and the simple and pure fact of just being happy and maintaining physical activity.

And they deserved it. Oh, God, how much they deserved it! Caitlin thought, feeling her eyes being flooded with tears.

In the end, she forced herself to turn Gideon off completely. She had no idea how much time had passed and Harry must've been already looking for her. She couldn't possibly stay here, staring at a picture from the future. She had to live her life and get there one day. For now, she had today, she told herself and she actually smiled. She had today and Harry and they could come back home safely.

She exited the time vault and walked a few steps when she suddenly bumped into someone and then she felt their hands on her shoulders.

"Snow! I've been looking everywhere for you! Are you all right? Wait… Have you been crying?" Harrison asked when taking a closer look at her face. "Listen, I know it was hard to lose professor Stein…"

"Harry?" she interrupted him right then.

"Yeah?"

"Let's just go home, ok?"

"You got it," he assured her, smiling at her lovingly. "I missed you, you know," he said once he put his arm around her and they started off towards the elevators. She smiled brightly, recognizing the familiar gesture from the picture. It was nice to know that they would be doing the same thing in ten years from now. It brought her peace of mind. She really needed that.

"I missed you, too," she responded, snuggling to his side when putting her own arm around him. "I hope Killer Frost behaved."

"Well, actually, she did prove herself, so it was quite all right. Though I couldn't wait to get you back, dr. Snow." He came to a stop to kiss her right then, feeling the weight of the small velvet box still in his pocket and wondering when he would be able to find the right time to pop the question.


	30. Chapter 30

Barely had the city recovered from Earth X's Nazis' attack, it started its annual preparation for Christmas. While Harry was desperately trying to come up with the right time to finally pop the question, the small box already burning a hole in his pocket as he carried it with him everywhere; Snow couldn't believe it was that far into the year already. She guessed they'd gotten caught up in all the trouble with DeVoe, the occasional meta or a bank heist and more importantly, taking care of all the destruction caused by the recent fighting. That and the fact that Killer Frost officially joined team Flash and was considered a heroine was enough to make her lose track of time. Not to mention the literal time loss she always experienced after her alter ego took control; though she wasn't much worried about it since Harry assured her that he was regularly checking on Frost, making sure the woman didn't do any damage.

Just now, Caitlin entered the cortex, seeing Harry and Cisco arguing about the tree decorations and she smiled at them fondly, enjoying all those little moments she got to have with her friends and the man she loved.

"Is Jesse coming over this Christmas?" she asked Harrison once he stopped arguing with his friend.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I asked her just like you wanted me to. We went to Earth 2 last year, so she's happy to make the trip for a change."

"Good… and for God's sake, Harry, why do you _always_ have to wear black?" Caitlin suddenly asked and he stilled, surprised by that question.

"Um… have you actually met Harry?" Cisco wanted to know. "You two have been dating like for _ages_ and you haven't noticed that particular detail yet?" he teased her whereas Harry just started to think about the _ages_ part. Damn, it was high time he finally popped that damned question! He didn't even know what he was waiting for anymore! Oh, wait, the right moment which definitely wasn't _now_.

"Black is a good color," he settled for defending his taste, thinking this was the end of discussion.

"It is," Snow admitted with a nod, "and it does look good on you, but you know what would look even better?"

Just when he thought they were over talking about it…

"I don't, so why don't you amuse me?" he asked in exasperation.

"Blue."

"Blue?!" he parroted after her immediately.

"Yes, Harry, blue. To bring out the color in your eyes. Besides, I recall you giving me your permission last year to gift you with something colorful for Christmas."

He had dug his own grave, hadn't he? He almost sighed and then was luckily saved by Ralph's appearance in the cortex. And to think he actually hated the guy…

"Oh, here's the _baking soda_!" Disney called on seeing Caitlin when gesticulating widely to which she frowned and Wells was once again reminded why he hated the man. Truthfully, he thought he'd rather prefer Snow nagging him to start wearing blue than _this_.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked in perplexity just as it was expected.

"Just a Killer Frost inside joke!"

"You… you, guys, have been hanging out with Killer Frost?"

* * *

Of course he followed her, Harrison thought when he pushed the door leading to the Jitters open, the ball cap still in place. Partially, he was just used to wearing it and partially he took it because, after all, it was December and it was rather cold. Of course Disney had to give Caitlin more information than necessary, making her feel all useless whereas Killer Frost not only saved the day now, but was also spending a lot of time with her friends. Go, figure.

"Let's see… dark roast, light roast, what are you having? The self-pity roast?" Harry asked her when finally locating her and joining her by the small table.

He was aiming at making her laugh, but apparently it wasn't going to be that easy this time. She just glared at him and eventually huffed, "I wish."

"The Killer Frost?" He chuckled when discovering that she was, indeed, nursing such a drink; the newest addition to Jitters' menu after Frost helped save the world. "Snow, listen, I can't believe you thought I'd prefer her company to yours. I… merely tolerate her, because… well, she's clearly making the effort, trying to make up for what she did and yeah, she is fighting on the good guys' side now. But you must know that it's _you_ that I truly care about and love."

"Ah… I know, Harry, I do," Caitlin finally said with a sigh. She took a sip of her coffee before continuing and she just had to add, "Damn it, this is actually pretty good!" she complained and Harry chuckled again. "Anyway," she put the cup down, "it's just that you all went from hating and ostracizing her to suddenly having inside jokes. She used to be my biggest enemy and now she's suddenly the hero and everyone in the city loves her! And yes, maybe it's pitiful of me to feel like this and complain about it after everything I've been through to make her a better… person, but… I can't help it."

Harry reached across the table and took her hand, his eyes meeting hers. "Just for some clarification, Snow, the jokes are all on Ralph and Cisco. I was merely there to repel Disney's pathetic attempts at seducing her."

"Oh, please," Caitlin pointed out, "she'd kill him with barely a touch!"

Harry smiled, letting her hand go and saying, "He's actually not that smart, you know. I tried to tell him that, but it didn't seem to keep him away. Anyways, the fact is that Killer Frost would never go for him. Do you know what she told me the first time we actually got to talk? It was right after she found me when I was knocked out during the Nazis' attack. She said that she was glad your taste in men has improved."

"Wait… what?!" Caitlin exclaimed. "See! That's even worse! Because now she's hitting on _you_!"

"Snow…"

"I know, I know, you're gonna tell me that I have nothing to worry about, because even if her powers allowed her to be with someone, it would be like me and HR all over again. Same body but not the same insides, so nothing there."

"Precisely," Harrison agreed with a nod. "I'm glad we understand each other so well."

"But… ummm… Oh, my God!" Caitlin suddenly paled when looking at him in panic. "How do I put this… um… I'm afraid that whereas I don't remember anything when she's in control… she… she may be well aware of everything that _I_ do! That _we_ do!"

"No, she's not," Harry immediately answered.

"How do you know?"

"Because she told me."

"Oh…"

"She is just as much clueless to your doings as you are to hers with small exceptions when she picks up on your fear or worry. But it's nothing vivid. Nothing… precise, so to speak."

"Thank God… but that kind of means she's being affected by my _feelings_. Why else would she want to turn a new leaf and join the team? She wants to belong, she wants family just like I do. She must be aware of my feelings for you, because that was how I managed to control her, to make her take that cure."

"I guess she may be having feelings for me just because you have them, but they can't be real. They're _yours._ "

"But it's not ok!" Caitlin suddenly felt sick. "She loves you, too!"

"Now, now, I wouldn't exactly jump to such conclusions…"

"But it's so obvious, Harry!"

"Snow, she tried to kill me," he reminded her.

"So what? Plenty of people tried to kill you before they grew to love you… Ok, that came out all wrong."

To her relief, he actually started laughing when leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest.

"So you _are_ jealous," he said in satisfaction.

"Just like you were of HR," she teased him, knowing that it had no sense to be feeling this way. If the future picture she saw wasn't a testament to that along with their history…

"I'd rather be with _you_. _Always,_ " he still assured her when leaning forward, resting his elbows on the table and looking her in the eye. "Actually…" Maybe this was their right moment, he thought, the vision of him proposing to her in public, able to attract as much attention as they wanted without him being taken for Eobard Thawne was quite exhilarating out of the sudden. "Snow… _Caitlin_ , I love you with all my heart, soul and body and there's something I've been meaning to ask…"

That was it. That was how far he managed to go before all hell broke loose.

* * *

"You can't save them both," Harry was just telling Iris. "You can only save one." And God knew how difficult this conversation was for him, how hard it was to remain impartial. It must've been the same for her, though she was more torn than he was when taking into account her young age and inexperience with this sort of things.

"Harry, do you have any idea what you're asking me to do?" she answered him right back. "To choose between my friend and my husband?! To whom I actually made a vow? I can't! I won't do that!" She was too rattled, he could tell and therefore unable to think clearly. And he would be, too, if only both Snow and Jesse hadn't been taken from him so many times before. In comparison to that, this seemed like a child's play. Well, at least as long as Amunet Black still needed Caitlin.

"I do realize that, actually, Iris, but I also happen to know that there is no other choice. Or we'll risk losing them both."

"No, this isn't right! If I choose Barry, I will be selfish and if I choose Caitlin because _you_ asked me to…"

"Only I didn't, did I? Iris, seriously, don't you see how alike we actually are?" He chose a different approach and maybe it was the right one since he managed to take her off her track a little, her mind now focused on what he was implying rather than on her upcoming and unavoidable choice.

"You and me?" she still made sure.

"Yes, Iris, you and me. We have both lost so much. I know you lost your fiancé, Eddie Thawne. And I lost my wife. We also both went through hell and back those few weeks during which both Barry and Caitlin were gone. We know how it is to lose someone and how it is to hold on to them tightly, so I understand. Trust me, I do. And I'm not telling you all of this so you would feel sorry for me and so I could beg you to choose Snow over Allen, even though it's all I want to do. I'm telling you this because we understand each other's situations. You might've married Barry, but I am planning to propose to Caitlin. In fact…" He sighed before reaching to his pocket and showing the woman the small velvet box. "I tried to… right before…"

Iris's expression crumbled and she swallowed hard.

"Make the choice, Iris, whatever it may be," Wells said before hiding the box and making his way to the exit. "We can't save them both," he repeated.

* * *

In the end, West-Allen did just that - she made a choice. And Wells couldn't be more proud of her, because despite her choosing Caitlin, she didn't follow what her heart was screaming at her or what guilt in choosing Barry over her friend was telling her. She made the best choice possible in those circumstances, deciding that Barry could take care of himself whereas Caitlin still hadn't quite figured Killer Frost out. Then again, the woman needed help desperately since Amunet put the metahuman cuffs on her, therefore preventing her from turning into her alter ego.

Right now they were all gathered in Joe's house that Ralph managed to decorate in the last possible moment as a thank you for accepting him into the family. Harry had to admit he might eventually grow fond of the man since if it hadn't been for him, Caitlin would've been dead now.

"And here's your present!" Snow just now got to him, handing him a gift bag.

"Oh, no, you didn't!" he threatened when pulling out a blue sweater. In fact, the color was sky blue and she was right, this would definitely bring out the color in his eyes. Not that he would actually enjoy wearing it. Damn it! But he had to now, didn't he? He would wear anything just to make her happy! And then he thought he should be glad that she didn't give him a booty call cube like Gypsy did to Ramon.

"Oh, stop right there!" Cisco called out to them. "Not only you're standing under the mistletoe, but Harry! You're wearing an actual _color_!"

"That's huge! Even I couldn't get him to wear something other than black!" Jesse, who finally made it for dinner, chirped.

"You know, black _is_ a color," Wells chose to argue as always.

"Let me get my phone! I need to snap a picture!" Ramon ignored him completely in his typical fashion and grabbed his cell.

Yes, Harrison was wearing the blue sweater for Caitlin and he wanted nothing more than to make her happy for the rest of his life. Which meant…

He was done waiting for the right moment. Then again, he wouldn't find a better one than right here and right now, surrounded by the people they both loved and cared about, the people who would share their happiness.

"Well, I guess it's my turn," he said and before Caitlin could tell what was happening, he got down on one knee and pulled the ring he'd gotten for her out of the pocket of his black jeans. Everyone stilled and he could clearly hear some gasps, probably coming from Iris and Cecile, but he couldn't care less. All he cared about was the woman he was just now kneeling in front of and proposing to.

"Will you, brilliant and beautiful doctor Caitlin Snow, do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he finally asked.

Caitlin was speechless for a long moment and Harrison's heart felt like it was going to jump right out of his chest because of this anticipation. There only seemed to be one answer he was expecting, yet, it didn't make this any less stressful for him.

And then she yelled _yes_ and pulled him back up so they could stand face to face and she kissed him.

"Damn! I got the whole thing on video!" they vaguely heard Cisco's excited voice. "I'm gonna tease him about this proposal so hard!... Um… Guys? Guys, you're not alone here! Get a room, will ya?"

"Oh, stop that," Jesse chastised the younger man when making her way to her dad and to Cait. The kissing ceased by then and she happily congratulated them, hugging them both and telling them how happy she was for them and that it was about time. She couldn't stay for long, sadly, because there was some crisis on her earth, but in the end they were happy she showed up.

* * *

They didn't intend on sleeping that night, having planned all that celebratory sex to find some fruitful outlet for their happiness.

And yes, they most definitely didn't sleep, but not because of their time spent in bed.

Barely had they come down from their first high when their cells started ringing.

"Don't answer that," Harry complained when Caitlin reached for her phone.

"What if it's an emergency?"

"During Christmas? There's no way I'm letting you out of this bed," he pulled her closer and kissed her before continuing, "so Killer Frost won't be making any appearances tonight. The city has the Flash."

Next, it was his cell that started ringing and it wouldn't stop.

" _What_?!" Harrison screamed into the phone when finally picking it up. "Ramon, I swear if this is some kind of a prank… Wait, _what_?"

* * *

They couldn't believe it. They just couldn't.

They finally found out what DeVoe's plan was, but it was already too late since he jumped into another body – the body of the man Caitlin had actually helped to save when being kidnapped by Amunet – and faked his own murder, the culprit pointed as Barry Allen.

The trial was fast and straight to the point and without revealing himself to the world as the Flash, there was nothing even Cecile, the best lawyer in town, could do.

At the end of the day, Barry was taken into Iron Heights where he would serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole and Caitlin just sunk into Harry's arms, sobbing and holding onto him for dear life. Because what if the worst wasn't over just yet? After everything Barry and Iris had been through, they were struck, yet, once again. Who was to say the same wouldn't happen to her as well?

* * *

Days and days were passing by and then they turned into weeks and the team, however hard it was to admit, established a new routine with Ralph and Cisco saving the day with the occasional help of Killer Frost. They were doing everything they could to help Barry, but so far they hadn't found anything on DeVoe. The only good thing happening this week was that Ralph finally raised up to the call, fighting his own weakness and becoming a hero. The city started to call him the Elongated Man about which, clearly, he wasn't too happy.

"Why can't I have a sexy name like Killer Frost?" he kept on complaining in his typical fashion.

"What can I say, when you got it, you got it," Caitlin teased him and Harrison shot her a smoldering look before saying in a deep, husky voice, "Oh, you got it."

"Okaaay…" Cisco said just then, the smile disappearing from his face as he noticed the way those two started to look at each other. He so did not want to be the one caught in the middle again. "You, lovebirds, get a room, ok? We have enough of this here even without…" he came to a shameful stop, but luckily for them all, Iris wasn't in the cortex anymore. It wouldn't be wise to say _even without Westallen cuddling around_ …

"Actually," Harry started when taking Caitlin's hand, "we just might. You don't need us here anymore, right?"

"Harry!" Caitlin exclaimed in surprise as he pulled her towards the exit.

"What? Everyone knows we're doing it! Hell! They're doing it!... Um… I totally meant Westallen," he corrected when he realized he basically pointed Cisco and Ralph. Needless to say, Ramon looked like he was going to kill him.

"Guys, do you think Barry and Iris are doin' it in prison?" Dibny suddenly asked as though not getting what Wells implied. "How do you call such a visit?"

"And why even look for the right word?" they heard Iris from the entrance. She must've just now come back from seeing her father off. "It's not like you'll actually manage to get married before I put you there myself!"

"I think this is our cue to leave," Cisco said quietly, directing himself to the exit. "No!" He then came to a stop and turned to Harry and Caitlin. " _You_ are going the opposite way!"

* * *

Caitlin was watching Harrison work for quite some time before she made her presence known, finally entering his lab. If she were to be honest, she was a little worried about him. He'd seemed different somehow ever since he'd accidentally made the whole shrunk situation with Cisco and Ralph worse and barely managed to save the boys in the end. She also heard him claim that he must've been stupid if he couldn't get anything right and for him to actually think that low of himself was disturbing. She always knew he had trouble loving himself for the amazing man he was, more focused on all of his flaws, all the mistakes he'd made and the bad sides to his character to even notice that the good outweighed it all significantly. Snow didn't really know how to make him see all of that. She guessed she wished he could've seen himself through her eyes, but of course, that wasn't possible.

She didn't know what it was that he was working on now as he remained mysterious about the whole thing. She also didn't feel like pushing today, sure that he would eventually tell her and the whole team everything there was to know about his newest and – she was sure of it – brilliant idea. Right now she needed to aim at a lighter tone, so she came to a stop right behind him and leaned forward, putting her arms around him.

"Harry, I could swear Cecile has been shooting me all those weird looks ever since she started reading minds. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" she hinted.

"What? Why?" he seemed taken aback by that unusual question. "Nothing has changed in my head recently. Maybe I'm more… happy? Since, you know," his voice grew softer as he pressed his hand against her own and felt the engagement ring on her finger, "we got engaged."

Caitlin only groaned in response, pulling away and circling him so she could look at his face.

"What did I say?" he asked in an even bigger confusion.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe you've just hinted having all those dirty thoughts that I know are always there on your mind! She must've picked up on them!"

"Oh, my dear dr. Snow, are you truly suggesting I'm _dirty_?" he teased her, raising from his seat and resting his hands on her hips before pulling her forward, pressing her pelvis into his.

"Very much so," she agreed, not able to resist this hot man and just needing to kiss him.

"I simply cannot help myself with you around all the time," he told her, moving his face along her cheek to gently nib at her earlobe and he felt her shiver against him instantly.

"Can you at least tune it down a notch? I'm not comfortable with Cecile…" she didn't finish because he kissed her again, this time way dirtier than before.

"Let's just be happy that we're together and that we got Allen out of prison," he said when breaking the kiss.

"And whose genius idea was to use Ralph so he could morph himself into DeVoe?" Caitlin asked then. "Yours, my love."

Harrison chuckled before saying, "Oh, what would all of you have possibly done without me?"

And good that he said that, Caitlin thought, giving into his kissing again. Maybe he would finally understand that he was the smartest man she knew and there was nothing wrong with his intelligence as he'd recently started suspecting when trying to outsmart DeVoe and failing.

 


	31. Chapter 31

I'd been few weeks since they'd gotten Barry back and it was as though he never left. The team was fighting crime and working together at S.T.A.R. Labs with the Flash being around even more than before since captain Singh sent him on a forced leave of absence till the DeVoe scandal died down. Currently, it was quiet around the cortex and Caitlin was doing her best to enjoy what seemed like a calm before the storm. Harry was constantly working on something, picking up a new idea before leaving it and moving on to another as though he still couldn't quite figure it out, but she decided not to push. She knew exactly how frustrating it was for him to see DeVoe always being one step ahead and not being able to stop the man just yet.

Or maybe she should start to worry about him because Cecile actually sought her out once Cait was done stitching up Izzy.

"Oh, hi, Cecile," she greeted the woman cheerfully. "Is there something wrong? Do you need another check-up?"

"Actually… I'm here because of Harry," the older woman admitted and Snow frowned, feeling like this was it, the calm slowly ceasing. Soon enough she would have to deal with some pretty big problems, she thought when absentmindedly playing with the ring on her finger, a gesture that did not miss Cecile's attention. Or the thoughts in her head, the doctor quickly remembered.

"What's wrong with Harry?" she eventually just asked.

"Um… you do know that I still haven't exactly figured out those powers of mine so I can't help but hear a thought here and there…"

"Yeeeesss?"

"Well, um… Harry's thoughts are all conflicted, Caitlin. You are there a lot, too, don't get me wrong and those thoughts are actually good and full of his love for you, but… there's more."

"Yeah," Cait admitted with a sigh when bringing a hand to her forehead and rubbing there, "I kind of figured something was up. He's working himself up over the fact that DeVoe seems to be smarter than him."

"Just be careful with Harry, ok? It would be a shame if he went too far. I'm really fond of you and him together. You make a great couple, Caitlin, even if at first I was a little taken aback."

"Yeah, we get that a lot, actually," Snow admitted, not able to help the smile.

"After giving some thought to it, you do make sense."

"I heard that, too," Caitlin assured Cecile. "And I really try to be supportive and be there for him… It's just…"

"Harry doesn't really have a high opinion of himself, does he?" Horton followed with and Snow couldn't agree more. "And now when he can't beat someone when it comes to using that genius brain of his that he loves so much and takes so much pride in… it's hard on him."

"Yeah," Cait agreed again, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Well, don't worry, Caitlin. I'm sure you two will be just fine and he'll be all right as well. Just… be there for him. Even when he says he doesn't need your support right now, he does."

"Thank you, Cecile. And since you're here… how's your pregnancy going? Any nausea? Mood swings?"

* * *

Just when Caitlin was working up her nerve for the tough conversation ahead that she would have to have with Harry, he came up with the celebro inhibitor, getting them back on track in fighting DeVoe. In the end, she kept whatever she was about to say to him to herself because he'd clearly raised up to the challenge, yet again and thanks to him they had a chance now to stop the Thinker.

They were all very enthusiastic about the device he'd come up with, especially when remembering Savitar and the hint he'd once given Barry. There was just one thing they hadn't exactly considered like Savitar not saying the celebro inhibitor actually stopped DeVoe. He'd said they'd create it in order to _use it_ against their opponent.

So it failed.

And they lost Izzy.

And Ralph was devastated since he really liked her.

Needless to say, Caitlin's greatest concern at the moment was for Harrison, because she could see the war in his head clearly as he struggled with the outcome of his device failing. DeVoe jumped into a new body, therefore causing, yet, another meta to die. There was no victory for them that night. Just defeat.

"Harry, where are you going?" Iris asked as he moved towards the exit. Even she noticed that something was seriously wrong, Caitlin thought, following her fiancé without a second thought.

"Harry!" she called after him, but he didn't stop. "Harrison, wait!" She finally caught up with him by the elevator. "Seriously, Harry, I was this close to provoking Killer Frost's appearance. You can't just push me away like this… Let's talk about it. Work this out."

Still, he didn't break a smile. Oh, well, failed joke on her part.

"We haven't had an argument regarding our relationship, Snow," he eventually said, his voice unmoved, maybe just a little tired and disappointed, but by now rid of any emotions as he looked at her. "I simply _failed_ at my job. _Again_."

"You will get it right, Harry, I know you will. Eventually, we will…"

"No. I'm just one big failure," he brushed her off and in that moment the elevator door slid open with a beep.

"Harry…" Caitlin wanted to step in after him, but he stopped her.

"I need some time alone to think, ok?" he said in the same tone. The door was already sliding close when he noticed the expression on her face and felt guilty about pushing her away, so he put his hand in between and added, "I'm sorry, ok? This has nothing to do with you. I love you, but I really need to be alone right now." After that, he finally let the door close and the elevator took him back up whereas Caitlin just sighed heavily, turning around and resting her back against the wall. So much for getting through to him…

* * *

And then a nuclear bomb exploded.

And all Harry could think of was Snow as he begged Allen to save her, to take her as far away from the city as possible, oblivious to the fact that Killer Frost would basically ask the speedster the same, to save Harry, to save _Caitlin_ so they could have their happy ending in which path she stood.

The moment Caitlin finally came back to the cortex after the crisis was over, he saw nothing and no one else, just moving in her direction, pulled towards her like a magnet, his arms closing around her as he whispered his apologies straight into her ear. She would love to spend all of her free time with him now, but she needed to check up on Barry first. After all, what happened had taken a tremendous strain on his body.

Finally, with the day coming to an end, Caitlin suggested they went to Jitters to grab some coffee. Maybe it didn't mix with the night slowly falling outside, but it wasn't as though she wanted to sleep, having much more important things they could be doing on her mind.

They were talking, him reaching for her when suddenly, a strange girl bumped into their table and spilled all of her coffee. Harry quickly took his hand away, glad that it was the Killer Frost and the liquid didn't burn and then he was just stupefied with this weird girl's behavior. Eventually, he simply grabbed his hot cup and turned to the exit, patiently waiting until Caitlin would join him so they could leave and finally go home. Maybe they should've headed there in the first place, considering their luck today.

Both of them missed Nora saying how much she missed them under her breath.

"That was… peculiar," Caitlin finally found the right word. "Strange girl."

"Yeah. Crazy! She kind of reminded me of Allen."

Caitlin laughed. "Yeah, I bet if Barry and Iris ever have kids, their daughter will be exactly like _that_."

"Yeah, or maybe it _was_ their daughter from the future, haphazardly time traveling to the past to meet her young parents."

"And their friends," Caitlin joined in the laughter. "Which is ridiculous, because if it were true, she would totally tell us how to defeat DeVoe, right?"

"Not necessarily," Harry argued when putting an arm around his fiancée, "because that could result in potential disastrous consequences just like Allen's Flashpoint."

"Touché," Caitlin admitted, still smiling. "So, what are we doing now?"

"Do you really have to ask, Snow? Come on!"

As they were slowly moving away from the Jitters, making their way to their apartment, Nora watched them from the opposite side of the street, smiling as the couple stopped for a moment to share a kiss.

"Yes," the girl said under her breath, "you'll be just fine. You deserve it." And then she was gone.

* * *

They did come back home and have sex, which was pretty amazing as they took their time making love to each other, appreciating being alive, Harry moving slowly over and inside of her, bringing her to a delicious climax.

The part where she started to complain was when he actually extricated himself from her arms and got up.

"Harry…?" she asked, already half-asleep and exhausted after the day they'd just had. "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

"Sleep, Snow. I've just had an idea. I have to work on it," he told her and then leaned forward to kiss her lips. She was too tired to stay awake and good. He needed to make sure whether he just figured DeVoe's secret. If both he and his wife had been jumping in and out of the pocket dimension, that must've meant they'd been planning this for years...

* * *

This wasn't a very nice morning for Caitlin. Most definitely not, she decided when she had to wake up alone and face the other side of the bed cold and empty. She had a vague memory of Harry leaving to somewhere in the middle of the night and she seemed to know exactly where that was. She didn't waste any time getting up, hitting the shower, putting some clothes on and running out of the apartment. She had to stop by the Jitters to grab some coffee and bagels, but then she made a beeline straight for the Labs, having that unpleasant feeling in her guts ever since she'd opened her eyes this morning.

Harry must've come up with something and if it was worth leaving her alone in an actual bed, it must've been big.

And it was. It really was, she thought when listening to him explaining the reason to DeVoe being so smart, tying everything up before he suggested he would make a thinking cap himself so he could become just as smart and maybe then they would get the upper hand. And he was too busy actually arguing names with Cisco – he preferred to call the prototype device the intelligence booster – rather than worry about his own well being.

It had to be Caitlin to speak out eventually, voicing her concerns.

"But… Harry… reengineering your brain's neurochemistry, that's…"

"DeVoe did it. So can I," he cut in before she could even finish and they ended up eying each other. He didn't want her to go on and tell them all the possible scenarios in which this could go wrong because he knew he wouldn't change his mind.

Throughout their entire relationship she'd never tried to change him and she knew she couldn't start now. It was just that… now they had so much more to lose. Then again, as she thought of it some more, they had always had just as much to lose, because a piece of paper that would sometime in the future state that they were married didn't really mean anything to her. It was simply a formality, a seal on their relationship. Even without it they would love each other the same. And love meant accepting someone and being there for them, it meant challenging them in a good way and not calling them up on their mistakes. Caitlin didn't like this idea of Harry's, that was a fact and they both knew it without her having to actually say it, but then again, she knew the future. She'd seen what would come to be in ten years whereas Harry hadn't. And if he had no idea, then it meant that whatever he was doing now when coming up with the intelligence booster, it wouldn't affect his future. So maybe in the end she should be supportive, maybe in the end she should keep an eye on him – or better even, ask Cisco since he was better with all those engineering stuff. She just had to keep her fiancé safe without influencing the future, without changing anything, because she knew what would happen. So, basically, if she didn't see the future, if Thawne didn't say anything to her, she would still be cautious about this whole thing, maybe even a little more scared, but in the end she knew Harry all too well. He wouldn't back out. He would take the risk because that was what they always did – took risks for their family.

In the end, she supported him because she really had no other choice. Besides, if he was sure he could do it safely, then she believed him. He wanted their future together just as much as she did, therefore she felt like she could trust him. Also, she needed to hit the lab and conduct some additional tests on herself, still a little surprised that despite hosting Killer Frost she would be able to have children in the future.

* * *

The next couple of days passed by for Caitlin in a haze. Ever since she'd started conducting tests on herself and finding out more and more about her brain, about the chemistry of her body and her meta DNA, not to mention working on the Melting Point's DNA, trying to reverse what he'd done to Iris and Barry; she found herself becoming slightly distant from everything and everyone else around her. She even started leaving post-it notes for Killer Frost so she could share her observations and she was stunned that they'd somehow reached an understanding and started forming some kind of a friendship. Or maybe it was too big of a word for that for now. Maybe she should say Killer Frost was like an annoying sister to her that she never had the pleasure – or displeasure? – to actually meet. She was relieved that Cisco was working with Harry and made sure the older man remained safe at all times when using the cap and before they knew it, he came up with the two remaining bus meta names.

Right now, Caitlin was on her way to Cisco's lab, needing to check up on him and find out what decision he made regarding the Breacher. He would eventually have to tell the man the truth, otherwise she was afraid she would have to go full on Killer Frost to protect him.

She was just half-way down the corridor when a pair of hands grabbed and pulled her into an dark empty room. She actually squealed, but then she felt a familiar touch of lips on her own as Harry started to kiss her.

"We've been so preoccupied with work recently," he began in a deep throaty voice that did wonders to her stomach…

"Oh, yes, we were," she agreed, putting her arms around his neck and then… instead of skin and soft curls she felt metal. "Are you kidding me?" she asked with a frown, pulling away immediately. Her eyes started adjusting to the darkness so she could spot the thinking cap still on his head.

"What?" he seemed confused. "What did I do?"

"For starters? The cap, Harry. Take it off when you're making out with me, please. This is just ridiculous."

"First, it's an intelligence booster and second, it makes me smarter. Can you imagine all those things I could do to you when wearing it? Oh, maybe we could get into the shower together. You know, it's scientifically proved that the greatest ideas come there, once you relax and are not even trying…"

"Are you seriously using having sex with me to boost your thinking abilities about defeating DeVoe?!" she seemed appalled.

"No, of course not!" he denied fiercely. "I just thought… it could be even better with the cap and…" he came to a stop, noticing the change in her expression. "Snow, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"…imply that our sex life could actually be _better_? Are you fucking _kidding me_ , Harry?!"

"No! No! It's so not what I meant! All this time with you, it's been beyond amazing and mind-blowing. I just…"

"Just _what_?!" she was full on screaming now. "Sex isn't a problem to be solved! It's about emotions! About sharing our love!"

"I know that!"

"Then you should also know that there's _nothing_ needing fixing in _that_ particular department," she finished and basically strode off, leaving him in the empty room.

He did call out to her that he was sorry, but she didn't seem to care.

In the end, he did the only thing he could, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

Then an idea came to his mind that he couldn't wait to execute.

He needed to pay a visit to the Reverse Flash's time vault.

* * *

It was no surprise at all, actually that he didn't come home for the night. And it wasn't because of their strange argument. He'd been staying at the Labs, working all day and night long with small breaks for naps in his old room and it'd somehow become their new reality. And Caitlin wasn't any better if she were to admit; working on figuring out Killer Frost, on actually _befriending_ her. That night following her fight with Harry, she came up with the idea of how to make her alter-ego appear without being traumatized and she was very proud of her own solution, trying it out right away and earning a few more post-it notes when she got back to being herself in the morning.

She didn't even have time for breakfast as the whole team was immediately being called in by Harry. And boy, was he cheerful, she thought with a frown, seeing that he kind of avoided looking her in the eye, busying himself with the sonic scepter presentation. In fact, he was so happy and talkative and was giggling so much that he reminded her of HR, which was only a proof that all the doppelgangers shared the same qualities. Maybe it was life and the conditions they were forced to live in that changed them, shaped them into the people they eventually became, she wasn't sure. It was definitely a very interesting area of study, though.

The team was actually excited about the newest device, Caitlin included. She was just worried about having that ridiculous fight the day before. In fact, when most of them dispersed, Harry approached her, the smile disappearing from his face. He was quite nervous and eventually asked her to talk. "Snow, I really didn't mean to…" he started awkwardly and it was so typical of him not to be able to find the right words to apologize whereas the obvious was saying that he was sorry that she couldn't help but forgive him right away, feeling so in love with him as he was her good old Harry.

"I know, Harry," she settled for saying and then she sighed. "I know. Let's just focus on defeating DeVoe, ok?" Or so she hoped. Maybe _then_ the thinking cap would be put aside and they could get back to normal.

* * *

She should truly be angry with Harry for not being there for her when she was stabbed. Not that the samuroid had done any real damage with Killer Frost healing her in the end, but it would be nice to see her fiancé stride inside the med bay, feeling all concerned. Then she actually realized it would definitely be his normal behavior, so it basically meant that he didn't know. He must've been preoccupied with his stupid cap and he didn't even know that she'd gotten hurt. And she couldn't hold anything against him if he had no idea, could she? It wasn't as though she should tell him now since there wasn't even a scar left from the wound.

In the end, she had to let it go, especially when Cecile came by for her check up. And after that, well, they found a way to stop DeVoe and decided to get on it right away till they still seemed to have some kind of an advantage.

Which they didn't, clearly.

"What? Trouble in paradise?" Killer Frost actually dared ask Harry and he opened his eyes widely at her.

"Are you… are you serious? We're just about to go and fight DeVoe and you're asking me _this_?"

She shrugged. "Why not? The time is as good as any. We're always seem to be in danger, right? So why put something off if you can just tell me now."

"It's not like I'm going to talk about it with _you_ , so better save your breath," he brushed her off, relieved to see Allen and Ramon all suited up and approaching.

"You, guys, never let me have any fun," the white witch complained as the newest meta acquisition opened DeVoe's pocket dimension.

And everything went to hell in a handbasket.

As always.

* * *

He should've known this was an idiotic thing to do.

He should've known nothing useful would come out of it.

Well, maybe he was actually becoming an idiot like that doppelganger of his, HR, but something told him even he wouldn't be so foolish as to overcharge the cap with dark matter and basically electrocute his brain.

In fact, Wells was lucky to be alive.

He was disoriented when he finally regained his consciousness, finding himself lying on a hard surface, feeling all shaky and nauseous; not to mention the horrible headache he had.

He slowly heaved himself up just to land back on the floor, his entire world spinning. For a moment, he was afraid he would throw up, but fortunately, the nausea eventually passed and the hammering in his head dulled a little as well.

_Oh, fuck,_ just then he remembered what he'd done exactly and brought his shaky hand to his face, cursing himself for being so thick, for not thinking about the consequences, for being so proud that he couldn't admit his own defeat. That maybe he wasn't the smartest mind in the multiverse even despite his seven PhDs. How could he be so stupid? So proud? So conceited? And what would be the price now? He thought, looking at the thinking cap with disgust. Then he grabbed the thing and threw it across the room with satisfaction.

_Too little, too late._

_Snow. The team. DeVoe._ All of that started to come back to him and he willed himself to finally get to his feet, even though they felt like jelly. He needed to go and find them all, to make sure Snow was all right, that they were all, all right.

Next, he needed to come clean, he decided, supporting his hands against the wall and trying to fight another wave of strong nausea. He needed to apologize to her, to _beg_ for her forgiveness, to ask her to do every test possible on him so they could rule out any serious damage to his brain or body.

Just in that moment, he heard Cisco's voice calling him from the corridor, saying that Caitlin needed his help. _Damn it._

He only exited the time vault when it was safe to come out, when he wasn't risking Ramon seeing where he'd actually _been_ all this time.

* * *

"There's no trace of dark matter in your body," Cisco informed when scanning Snow and Harry could just stand there, completely stupefied. First, he still didn't seem to be all the way _there_ , confused and shaky after what had happened to him in the time vault and second, how could he possibly lay all of _that_ on his fiancée - the woman he promised to love and marry, for God's sake! He'd really been stupid, acting with no regard for anyone but himself. It was beyond selfish and he'd never hated himself more than right now. Snow was _everything_ to him and he'd screwed up majorly. And now Killer Frost was gone as well.

"Killer Frost is… gone," Caitlin said, almost tasting this word and finding it so foreign that her head started to spin. In fact, she couldn't help but run back in her mind to the times when she would've done just about anything to get rid of her alter-ego and be able to lead a normal life by Harry's side. And now that she finally had her wish, now that after all the struggle, the failed cure and Amunet Black's technology, it felt as though she was a missing a part of herself. Strange this world was, indeed.

"Can you… Cisco, can you leave us alone?" she eventually asked her friend when gesturing to Harry and the younger man nodded, exiting quietly.

"Snow, I'm so sorry," Harrison immediately began, needing to say this, needing to at least get this out. "I know I've been…" he came to a stop, raising his shaky hand and scratching his head. "I'm sorry. I know I've been addicted to the cap and I want you to know that it's over. It's gone. I'm not going to use it anymore." Oh, how he wished it had been that easy! He could only hope.

"I know. It's ok."

"No," he argued, shaking his head, "it's not, but this is a conversation for another day. I'm truly sorry about Killer Frost."

"We wanted her gone. All this time we just wanted to get rid of her," she said, staring blankly at the wall opposite her. "And just when we started to feel at peace with the fact that she was always going to be a part of me… she's… finally gone," she stammered, close to crying. Then she met Harry's blue eyes. "I actually started treating her like a friend, like… family. She was reformed and we established this routine and…" Tears were streaming down her face by now and Wells simply put his arms around her, hugging her tightly, her head resting against his heart since she was still sitting on the bed.

"I know, Snow. I'm sorry."

"Can we… can we just go home?" she eventually asked, oblivious to the war ragging just now in his body. Because no matter what, he couldn't possibly let her lose him as well. He had to be all right. He _had to._

* * *

Coming back home together after all those weeks spent on hard work in the Labs, seemed foreign, even surreal to him. And then Caitlin, who wasn't crying anymore, just took his hand and led him to the bedroom. She stood right in front of him, looking deeply into his eyes, reminding herself what was really important, that they still had each other, that he was better now and that she would marry him.

She reached to her shirt and pulled it over her head, then she undid the clasp of her bra before proceeding to his black sweater, missing the blue one she'd given him for Christmas, but in the same time knowing it was tucked safely in their closet.

"Are you sure?" he asked after she kissed him, pressing herself against him and running her hands down his back. "You're grieving."

"I need you. Harry, I need this. Just… make me forget, please. Show me that everything is all right. That we're perfect no matter what."

So he did. And the whole time he was making love to her, he was silently praying that they would, indeed, be all right in that end, that whatever had happened in the time vault wouldn't affect him.

Because the one thing he would never recover from now would be jeopardizing this beautiful thing they had because of his stupid mistake. He would never forgive himself if he was the reason to why Caitlin was hurting, to why this ended.


	32. Chapter 32

"You used dark matter? Harry, you promised!" Cisco exclaimed.

"I know! I know I promised!"

They were in the time vault, Wells just showing his friend the scans of his brain Gideon had made for him. He still hadn't told Snow since she was grieving over Killer Frost and was actually looking into ways of bringing her alter ego back. He couldn't possibly burden her with more. Not when _this_ was the truth. And if he found the look of terrible disappointment and disbelief in Ramon's eyes so hard to face, he didn't even want to imagine what _her_ expression would be once he told her.

"You did! And you promised _her_! God!" Cisco exclaimed, just now remembering Caitlin. "You didn't tell her, did you? Oh, my God, Harry! How could you be so stupid?!"

"Because I felt so stupid!"

"We all feel stupid right now!" For a moment, they were just glaring at each other before Cisco continued, "Do you have any idea what this will do to her?"

"I know! I _know_ , ok?!" Harrison shouted right back again and this time Cisco was rendered speechless because he saw actual tears shining in his friend's eyes as the man lifted his hands to put on his head in a helpless gesture. "I know! I destroyed everything! I destroyed _her_! And I can't even tell her!"

"Harry, you _have to_."

"I know," Wells finally admitted in a defeated voice, letting his hands just drop at his sides. "I know." He then put them on his hips and turned around so Ramon wouldn't see him break.

"And the team. Harry, this is gotta be the first step. Once they all know, we're simply gonna find a way to fix you."

"Yeah? And what if you can't?" he asked when whirling around and looking straight into Ramon's eyes.

"We will. That what we're here for, right? We do the impossible. Just… first, they need to know and I mean it. _Especially_ her."

Harry sighed and then he finally nodded. "Ok. Just… maybe not today. Today's been hard enough on me."

"All right. But soon."

"Soon."

* * *

Only he didn't tell Snow nor anyone else.

She was still broken over Killer Frost and he couldn't possibly burden her with more, not now when she was so busy and focused on studying her DNA. It felt wrong for Frost to just stop existing and Harry got that, he really did. It wasn't even as though he was going to make a case out of it, trying to prove to Caitlin how much they actually _didn't_ need her alter ego. Not when he was the one who would go next. If they couldn't fix him, if they failed, he at least wanted Snow to have Killer Frost back. He didn't want her to be all alone since on the very thought of it he felt such a hatred towards his own self that it was suffocating.

So he kept avoiding her.

And when he couldn't do that anymore, he simply went straight to his old room and started packing whatever things he still had in there.

This was a whole new level of self-loathing for him and he realized that. Yet, it didn't change a thing. He was still doing this, acting like a pathetic coward that he was, because he couldn't possibly face Snow and tell her what was really going on. He just couldn't. Every time he looked into her eyes, he got stuck, all of their future that he would be taking away from her flashing in front of his eyes and he just could not do it.

"Harry… what are you doing?" he stilled on hearing her surprised and quite hurt voice coming from the door, his hands shaking when he was trying to zip up his bag. Had his brain deteriorated so much already? He wondered. "Harry, did I miss something here? Are you going somewhere? I know I've been busy with Killer Frost recently, but…"

Great, he thought, the hatred for himself only growing as she turned out to be the one actually apologizing to him! He couldn't let that happen.

"I'm…" he started and stopped once more, the words just refusing to pass through his mouth, "going to see Jesse," he finally went with, but he couldn't cover his broken voice up with anything. He knew he was screwed. Caitlin knew him better than anyone, maybe even better than his own daughter since he always pretended everything was fine with Jesse. She was already mother-less, so she so did not need a weak or inadequate father.

"I'm sorry… what?" Cait asked, not understanding his tone or what he was saying or doing at all. "Why? We haven't stopped DeVoe yet and Harry… I understand your need to see your daughter, I do, but… I've just lost Killer Frost. I can't deal with you being gone now. I'm sorry if this sounds selfish, but…"

"Would you stop?!" he suddenly erupted, abandoning the bag and turning around. He hurt her. _Again_. He could tell as much by the look on her face and he didn't even need his intelligence to deduce that. "I'm sorry," he followed quickly in much softer tone. "I just… Ah… Caitlin… I… I can't," he finished awkwardly and she grew even more perplexed.

"Can't do what? Stick around?" she retaliated in a hard voice as she folded her arms over her chest as though she wanted to protect her heart from the blow. "Harry, I don't understand. And believe me, I have been trying so hard to do just that. You promised me a bright future and you never had any problem with us being together despite the age difference. What changed now?"

He still couldn't say it. Not even when he noticed her features softening as she saw the internal struggle he seemed to be having with himself. In fact, she came over to him and took his hands, noticing how shaky they were.

How could he do it? Why had he been so stupid? Now he was going to take everything away from her, their future, their happiness, _everything_ and she didn't even have Killer Frost anymore. She would end up all alone and she was the last person who deserved such a fate.

"Harry, please, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. What is it? Just talk to me. I'm with you no matter what and you know that. I wouldn't say yes to you otherwise."

So he did.

Something in her words finally prompted him to and once he opened his mouth, starting about the time vault and Gideon and dark matter against Cisco's advice, he couldn't stop until he finished. Only by that time he wasn't looking at her anymore, though he was still able to feel the warm and gentle pressure of her hands on his as she'd never let go of them.

She did freeze, just being this living presence next to him, focused on breathing, because suddenly it became such a heavy task for her.

"I'm sorry," he broke the silence while she still refused to speak, just holding on to his hands and standing still like a statue, the glassy eyes of hers staring at the wall behind him.

Next thing he knew there was some change in her demeanor because her eyes focused directly on his and she said in a strong, clear voice, "You are not going anywhere because nothing will happen to you, Harry. We will fix you. Nothing is changed between us. I love you." It truly took everything from him now not to fall apart right in front of her since he couldn't believe his own ears and the strength this amazing woman possessed. He should have come clean with her a long time ago. Maybe even the moment it'd all happened. He'd thought then that it would be too much because of her fresh loss, but he should've known better. Caitlin Snow was _strong_. "I am engaged to you," she continued. "We can deal with this. When I said yes to you, I also said yes to all the crap I was sure you were still going to pull."

"Snow…" her name was the first thing slipping out of his lips along with surprise. "I…"

"I _know_ you, so I always expected something like this. I mean… not _this_ , but I knew there would be mistakes you were going to make and bad turns. I didn't care. I know you're not perfect, Harrison, but I love you still and for that I love you as well. I made a decision to spend my life with you because you _are_ the love of my life."

"But you didn't sign up for _this_!" he couldn't help it and yelled those words. This was too much. She thought too highly of him and he didn't deserve it! "When you said yes, you didn't exactly say it to a _dumb_ man! Snow, without my intelligence I'm nothing!"

"Nothing?!" she repeated, her eyes opening widely in shock. "You are _everything_ to me, do you hear me, Harrison?" She reached for his face, taking it into her hands and looking him deeper in the eye so it would sink in. " _Everything_ ," she repeated. "I said yes for better and worse. I said yes to _you_ , not your intelligence. I said it to the man I love and I don't care what you're going to lose. What's important's right here." To emphasize her words, she put her hand to his chest right where his heart was. "I accept you for the man you are and that I love. I never expected anything from you, never asked you to change or be different because then it wouldn't be you anymore and this wouldn't be love. Not really. I love you for who you are and have always been, even when you're hard to stand," she teased him in the end just to see him laugh, but he didn't. In fact, his breathing intensified and his body started to shake more. He knew in that moment that she was an angel sent to him from heaven and that he would never truly deserve her, no matter how hard he tried to make it all up to her.

"I don't deserve it," he said hoarsely. "Such a jerk like me just doesn't deserve it."

"Nonsense," she dismissed it all immediately. "I decide what I want and what I deserve. Also, I know we can help you, Harry. We can help you reverse the damage." After that, Caitlin pulled him close, embracing him tightly.

"She's right, you know," they suddenly heard coming from the door.

Startled, they turned around to see Cisco standing there.

"Ramon, what's with you never knocking?" Harry asked him in his usual gruff voice and Caitlin smiled through her tears, happy that he seemed to be back to his old self. Well, when not considering the damage he'd already done to his brain, that was.

"All I'm saying is that when it comes to the impossible, we're the experts. So, let's start working, shall we? Oh, yeah, and you _have_ to tell the rest of the team, man. Caitlin alone here doesn't count as the whole team even if she's all that matters to you."

* * *

In the end, Wells only partially listened to Cisco, coming clear with the team but in the same time forbidding Snow to work on him.

"You can't expect me to just sit by and do nothing, Harry. Not when I care about you so much."

"I just… I'm not saying no," he explained then, meeting her troubled eyes and hating that he had to be doing this to her. "I'm just saying that right now we need to focus all of our resources on stopping DeVoe. There's no time for figuring out my brain."

"Well, luckily for you, mister," Caitlin actually pointed her finger at him, not letting it go so easily, "I have actually been studying brains to understand my connection to Killer Frost and what triggers… well, triggered it," she corrected not without difficulty, "so I'm all caught up. I'll start on your scans in the morning and I refuse to listen to any arguments to the contrary."

Eventually, he just sighed and reluctantly agreed, still making a point for them not to lose their precious time whereas they could be hunting down DeVoe. For now, they headed home, tired with the passing day, with transporting the nuclear prisoner and all.

Yet, once both Snow and Wells got home and turned in to sleep, she couldn't seem to clear her mind enough in order to drift away, able to just lie in Harry's arms, brushing his hair with her hand.

"I promise you, Snow, that I will do anything in my power to make this up to you," he whispered to her just then, his hold on her tightening. "When all of this is over, I will take you somewhere nice. There are some pretty amazing vacation spots on Earth 2… Listen, I… ah…" he followed with then, realizing something, but in the end deciding against saying it.

"What is it?" she still pushed, curious. "Harry, you can tell me anything. And honestly, you should know it by now."

He sighed before following with an explanation, "I know, Snow. You are exceptionally strong and brave and you never cease to amaze me, but… this is… just me worrying that you already lost one husband and now… I'm sorry. I just want to say how sorry I am that I haven't considered this possibility before, that something might happen to me, that I might lose it all. I wanted to be smarter and in result I will lose _everything_ and it's terrifying because for the first time in years I stand so much to lose yet _again_. I don't even care about my intelligence at this point. I care for _you,_ for Jesse. Why was I so stupid?" he sighed in frustration in the end.

She shifted, turning so she could brace her upper body on her elbows and look into his eyes. Her mouth opened to say something, but in the end she decided to close them right back by simply kissing him.

As the kiss deepened and he landed on top of her, he tasted her tears. He made a vow in that moment that he would do anything in his power to stop this, to remember her and to remember his daughter even when everything else would be gone. He would not give up. _Ever_. Even if this would kill him.

They quickly rid of their clothes and Harrison slipped inside of her slowly, taking his time making love to her, desperate to memorize every inch of her body, desperate to make this moment last. In fact, the both of them did everything they could to postpone their coming, but eventually their bodies erupted, spent and sated.

Caitlin settled back into his arms and her breathing quickly evened out. She was simply reveling in this moment, in him holding her, being _himself_ still. She never wanted this night to end because he was her everything.

It wasn't until sometime later when she was already drifting off to sleep that she heard him sob quietly and it shook her to the bone since he never showed his weakness like this. Not even to her. Well, then again, he probably thought she was long asleep. Her heart broke at the sound and at the way he buried his face in her hair. She wondered why love was always her doom, why couldn't it just be easy for her like it was for Barry and Iris. They had been through some crap as well, yes, but they'd overcome it all and were stronger than ever now, even with DeVoe still being a threat.

But so would she and Harry. She had to believe that. She'd seen it already, hadn't she?

* * *

The next few weeks brought a few interesting developments, but unfortunately it had nothing to do with either Caitlin or Cisco finding a way to help Harry. They weren't losing their hope, though. DeVoe was building something and during Gypsy's visit, as they were trying to vibe the things the Thinker had stolen, Barry finally figured out that those were going to be a few satellites that were to work together. Next, it took Joe asking Harry to occupy Cecile for sometime before he would get the house ready for her baby shower, that they actually discovered that the more he was using his brain, the faster he would go. He was torn between sparing himself and working twice as hard till he still could. Then Cecile discovered that she could write down what he was thinking before it disappeared from his brain and they finally figured out what DeVoe's plan was – to make every single human being on the planet a simpleton like it was happening to Harry by erasing everything that made a person, by… bringing on the Enlightenment.

While they were trying to explain it – Harry truly at loss for words and Cecile helping him out constantly - Caitlin couldn't help but stare at the man she loved with her heart breaking in her chest. It was truly hard to watch as he was struggling, desperate to hold on to what he still had left and unable to quite grasp it. She was terrified of the day he would start forgetting more than just science, when he would start forgetting _people_.

They all stopped talking and Snow realized Cecile was staring at her. _Oh, crap_ , ran through her mind and she could tell by the expression on the older woman's face that she'd been reading her thoughts for a while and was now privy to some very serious information. And no, Harry did not know.

"Cecile, would you like me to do a check-up?" she suggested, needing the woman away from her fiancé. Then again, it wasn't as though she would say anything to him while even Caitlin hadn't yet, right?

"Sure. I could use one. In fact, there's this thing I've been wanting to ask you…" the woman agreed easily, leaving Harry's side and disappearing with Caitlin in the med bay. "Caitlin! Oh, my God! Congratulations! This is amazing news!" she erupted as soon as the door closed behind them and Cait could tell she couldn't wait to throw it out of herself. "Why haven't you told Harry yet? This is actually so good!"

"Um… thank you, Cecile, really," Caitlin started, feeling embarrassed out of the sudden, "but with Harry… it's all… How do I put this…? Complicated."

"Why? I know he's going through some serious stuff right now, but he needs to hear this. This will give him hope."

"Yeah and what if it only hurts him more?!" Caitlin suddenly raised her voice, the dam breaking. She couldn't fight it anymore. She was supposed to be calm because technically she knew the future, but what if it changed? It had happened before. The future could be changed. She'd run every possible test on Harry she could think of with Cisco and _nothing_. They just couldn't come up with the right solution to fix him! The next step was actually calling the Council of Wells, which was Cisco's idea, of course and she agreed because there was truly nothing left she could do to help the man she loved! Not to mention get Killer Frost back and this got so much more complicated now, because if she did that, if she really fought to get her back, she might definitely risk losing her future.

"Oh," Cecile just said with a frown and that was one of those awkward moments in which Caitlin forgot the woman could read minds. "Eobard Thawne showed you the future?"

"Not exactly… I checked myself, but Gideon only confirmed what he already told me," Snow explained since Horton seemed to have heard everything anyway. "I keep telling myself it'll be all right, that Harry was there in that future and not only one child but two, but…" She shook her head when biting on her lip. "Maybe it's too much. Maybe I wasn't supposed to know this, because by me actually knowing this, it could all change and…"

"Caitlin," Cecile said in a warning tone when making her way to the doctor and putting her hands on the woman's shoulders, "just breathe, ok? It's going to be all right. You can't panic. You have to believe everything will work out just fine. You _have_ to. I know you can help Harry. I _know it_. Just take it one step at the time, ok? You have to believe you will eventually get to the point in the future when you two are happily married with kids, but you cannot rush this. The answer will come on its own, ok?"

Caitlin's eyes shined with tears when she nodded, whispering a thank you to Cecile.

"Anytime." Horton gave her a hug. "I've spent quite some time with that man and trust me, he loves you more than you can possibly imagine and he is fighting, too. Maybe even the hardest of us all."

Caitlin just nodded.

* * *

Harrison was perplexed.

In fact, even more so since Cisco had promised him another Council of Wells that would be smarter than the first one and they were all fantastic _not_.

He didn't know what exactly prompted him to sit through the whole _session_ or whatever it was and quite frankly, he didn't want to think of the reason, because deep down he knew he might end up being surprised.

Of course those idiots didn't fix him, he thought when the meeting was over and the only remaining doppelganger of his was Sony who said as a goodbye, "Remember, be kind, rewind!"

"What? What is that? Be kind, rewind? If this is gonna help me defeat DeVoe, then…" he started working himself up again when Sony just raised his hand, shutting him up.

"Yeah," he admitted – again in Harry's opinion – dumbly. "And above all, you just love yourself, Harry! Remember that you are unbelievable! Accept your mistakes, learn to live with them and learn _from_ them, ok? Also, remember that even the best of us make mistakes. Even you. It's what makes us human! Adios, fellas!"

He didn't give Harry the chance to respond any way since he was already gone. Then again, for once in his life, Harrison didn't really have much to say to _that,_ suddenly deep in troubling thoughts.

* * *

"Harry?" Caitlin stood in the door to his lab, finding him sitting in his chair but not really doing anything in particular. "Harry, can we talk? Cisco told me how it went with the new council."

"Yeah, they're idiots," he finally said, but honestly, inside he didn't really feel like it was true. That was the strangest thing, he decided, or maybe he already lost too much of his mind.

"Really?" Snow made sure when walking further into the room and grabbing another chair to sit by his side. "They actually sound pretty great to me," she told him. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell you this, Harry, but I kind of like the idea of them teaching you how to love yourself."

"Wait… what?" He seemed to just now snap out of his stupor, meeting her eyes in surprise. "What are you talking about? I'm amazing!"

"Yeah, better tell that to yourself, because all of us already know it," she said and he felt frustrated with how well she knew him. "I know losing your intelligence has been very hard on you. It must be the most difficult thing you've ever had to face, but Harry… I never fell for your brain. I saw the enormous heart of yours underneath this infuriating man that'd been driving me crazy ever since I met him."

He chuckled to her delight and then corrected, "It wasn't."

"What?"

"It wasn't the most difficult thing that has ever happened to me. That was… losing _you_ , actually," he confessed and the smile died out on her face. "You must know I would give everything and anything away just to save you."

Her eyes shone as she reached for his hand and assured him, "It goes both ways. Sometimes I wish you could see yourself with my eyes, you know."

"Yeah. Maybe that would do me some good." He chuckled again. "You know, it's not actually that I'm desperate to get it all back for me. I wanted to be able to help this team defeat DeVoe, to help… well, you, get _her_ back."

Caitlin's expression changed and she knew in that moment that she couldn't hide the truth from him any longer.

"Harry, listen," she started, running her fingers over the skin of his hand, "I don't think we should try and get Killer Frost back even if you had your intelligence."

He frowned. "Why? I thought it was what you wanted. Don't stop trying just on my account. I can manage. I have so far."

"I know." She smiled to him sadly, her heart once again swelling with the extensiveness of the love she had for him. "But it's not it. Harry, I…" She looked aside, finding it hard to tell him this. In any other circumstances, she would treat this as a blessing and he would probably as well, but now… when he was starting to forget… Then again, she owed him the truth no matter what. They always owed that to each other. So she just blurted out, "I'm pregnant."

And she truly thought she broke his brain with that statement, because beside some occasional blinking, he did not move nor say anything.

"I guess it happened right after I lost Killer Frost and that is why I can't get her back, no matter how much I want to," she then followed with a stream of words, suddenly nervous that he still wasn't reacting. "I just… I can't risk hurting our baby, Harry. I can't get her back. Harry? Please, say something. Well… maybe just don't tell me you don't like that we're going to have a baby, because..." She was quite effectively shut up by his lips landing on hers as he kissed her fiercely before resting his forehead against her own.

"A baby," he whispered, a smile suddenly appearing on his face. "I… I nearly can't believe it… We're going to have a baby! Snow, this is… oh, wait," he then saddened, remembering what was happening to him. "How can I be there for you and this baby if I won't even know who you are?" he asked in panic before pulling away from her. "You will give birth and I won't know that it should be important to me!"

"Harry, no, wait…" she tried to interrupt, to make him see. "Harry, that's not gonna happen."

"How can you know that?!" he yelled when getting to his feet and starting to pace along the room. "We have to fix this! I don't care about my stupid intelligence! I need to preserve what's here now!" He put his hands to his head, his eyes boring into hers, a crazy look in them. "I can't forget any more!"

"Harry!" Caitlin also raised her voice when getting over to him and cupping his face. "You won't. We'll be just fine."

" _How can you possibly know that_?"

Caitlin sighed, taking her hands away and making up her mind. Next, she took his hand and said, "Come with me."

* * *

They were back at the time vault, a place Harry had vowed never to step his foot in again, but it wasn't like he had any choice with Snow leading him straight here, wanting to show him something. And once he saw it, he was truly rendered speechless. Nothing mattered but _this_. Absolutely nothing but _family_ , _people_. Only this stayed with you when you died and moved on. He just wished it hadn't cost him losing _everything_ to realize that. His work, career, all those inventions, crazy quests, PhDs, lonely hours spent in his office… it all ceased to matter when he was looking at the picture from ten years ahead with him and Snow and their _children_.

He still found it hard to believe.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier," Caitlin began when standing next to him. "It was actually Reverse Flash who told me. You know, when my cage was taken away and you were so scared they were going to hurt me? And then I had to check for myself. I was mesmerized just like you are right now, Harry... This can be overwhelming, I know," she then added, "but it also gives me hope. Hope that we _will_ get through this. At least enough so you would remember who I am. Who… our kids will be."

"This isn't overwhelming," he eventually said. "Actually, this is _amazing_." He turned to her with fresh tears of happiness glistening in his eyes and she couldn't help but respond with the same. "It's all I could have ever wanted from our lives, Caitlin." He immediately swept her into his arms, needing to hold her, to bury his face in her hair, to smell the familiar perfume of hers. Also, in that moment he had kind of an epiphany. He wasn't as bad as he thought himself to be. Jesse loved him and Caitlin as well. Then, there was the team who accepted him, became his family. They never judged and were always there for him, trying to help however they could. They treated him like one of their own and he was. Despite being from a different earth, he was. There also were – or were going to be – his future children who were so happy on that photograph with their parents. They must've seen something in him as well. They _loved_ him.

Maybe it was high time he admitted that he was, indeed, a good man. Maybe it was time to finally let himself feel some love for _his own self._

* * *

Congratulations were in order when Harry and Caitlin stepped into the cortex and relayed the news. Despite their struggle with DeVoe, despite them hitting a wall over and over again, it made the whole team smile and celebrate as they forgot about their troubles or even Harry's deteriorating mind. They were simply family. Celebrating together.

And family accepted one another and their decisions, not trying to change them by force, just trying to make the other person see another point of view and allowing them to make their own choices. So once Caitlin said that she would stop trying to get Killer Frost back, they all understood. In fact, she couldn't be happier that she shared all the news with the team because Barry told her something then as well, "You know, Cait, back in the flashtime when the nuclear bomb exploded… Killer Frost was worried about you and Harry. She actually asked me to save you two. I could tell she knew she was standing in the way to your personal happiness, to you being together fully. She was ready to sacrifice herself just for _you_."

Caitlin's eyes once more shone with tears as she heard that and then she stepped over to hug Barry and whisper a silent thank you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go!


	33. Chapter 33

Despite the good news and the moment of happiness they all shared prompted by Caitlin's pregnancy, she was actually getting more and more worried since as time progressed, Harry was only getting worse. It got to a point in which he started randomly bumping into various furniture in the cortex and it took him a moment to remember Cisco's name. Cisco's! What was next, Caitlin thought, truly losing her hope that they would make him better and starting to wonder whether the picture in the time vault wasn't just Eobard Thawne's cruel joke to punish her. Because they couldn't help Harry. They didn't have enough knowledge about how DeVoe had come about the Enlightenment, they only knew what tech he needed, but no details and without them, there was nothing they could do to reverse the process. If it could even be done…

The only bright side to Harry's sudden mind deterioration was that he seemed to have started using his actual heart more and surprisingly, he was the one to figure out that DeVoe hadn't made his move yet because Marlize must've left him. All they had to do now was to find his wife as she was the key.

The question was whether they would manage to do that and then convince her to help them stop her husband in time, because the Enlightenment… had just begun.

* * *

This was truly taking crazy to a whole new level, Caitlin decided when having to actually stop Cecile from giving birth so she could keep her powers in order to help link Barry's consciousness to DeVoe's – the only idea Marlize had.

 _And it better work_ , Snow thought, temporarily calming Cecile down and then looking for Harry. Poor guy was so lost it hurt her heart every time she saw him and now… not seeing him there seemed even worse. Where was he anyway? She wondered.

She didn't have much time so she hoped she would find him on her first try and she did in his lab. He was just sitting on a stool, staring blankly at the thinking cap laid before him.

"Harry?" she asked with a frown. "Harry, what are you doing? We have to stick together. It's dangerous to wander off now."

Once he raised his eyes to meet hers, she could swear he recognized her, but couldn't actually form the right words to speak. In the end, all that came out – and she could clearly see that it was a struggle – was, " _Help_ ," before he pointed the cap.

Snow's eyes opened widely and she denied him his request fiercely. "No. You aren't frying what's left of you," she said, though she could taste the obvious lie in her words since there seemed to be _nothing_ left anymore and quite frankly, she had no idea how to deal withit. Those days she more and more thought that her and Harry's bright future was just another ploy to hurt her, because since when the Reverse Flash was merciful enough to let her live and actually allowed for her happy ending? Even if he had feelings for her as he claimed to, psychopaths just didn't care. Clifford DeVoe was a proof enough for that, wasn't he? He had managed to successfully drive his wife away, after all.

" _Help. Please!_ " Harry repeated and Caitlin thought what the hell. Maybe at least she would get to say goodbye if she put it on him, but she so refused to actually _feel_ when thinking that.

She walked over to him and picked the booster up, remembering how both Harry and Cisco had turned it on before, so she followed those steps, having a good movement memory and the cap was soon secured on Harrison's head.

She waited with bated breath as it started to work and once Harry met her eyes again, she could see clear recognition there.

" _Snow_ ," he said her name as though it was a caress while he reached for her hand, "tell Allen to go to a place where DeVoe first fell for Marlize. He should find the good DeVoe there. Oh… and one more thing," he then added, his eyes never leaving hers and she already felt her own watering with fresh tears. She'd seemed to have an abundance of them recently and despite her efforts to hide them from the team, she could tell Cisco knew about her crying all the time.

Harry stood up, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her like there was no tomorrow. And, for a change, she actually welcomed the addition of the cap, because she knew he wouldn't be able to think and feel this clearly without it.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear. "Never forget that. Even though I will and for that I am truly sorry. If only I could do it all over again…"

"I love you, too," she sobbed with her face pressed against his neck.

"I'm sorry I won't be there to raise our child." She only cried harder once she heard that and before she managed to say something again, he retreated, sitting back on the stool, his eyes already glazing over, the mind gone. "Stars are raining… Nora shouldn't be here…" he mumbled while Caitlin wiped off her tears.

Cisco came running, calling her back to Cecile, so she went, passing by him in the door.

"Caitlin… if you want to talk…"

"I can't deal with this right now, Cisco," she just said, not slowing her steps. "Cecile needs me."

* * *

She couldn't believe this. She just couldn't.

This wasn't possible. They couldn't be _this_ lucky, Caitlin thought when not able to stop smiling. Because Barry might've not exactly found good DeVoe where he and Marlize had fallen in love, but he did find Ralph. And Ralph defeated the Thinker. Later on, Cecile gave birth to a healthy baby girl and team Flash saved the city from the falling satellite. What more, Marlize actually gave them a program she'd written in order to restore Harry's mind.

Right now they were all gathered up in Harry's lab, Cisco securing the cap on the man's head while Caitlin was monitoring his vitals, already feeling that this would work, that this was always going to work, that her future with Harry was real and it hadn't changed because of _this_ moment, _this_ amazing gift from Marlize DeVoe.

Snow's stomach did a sickening flip-flop when Harry actually started screaming, but she quickly assessed his vitals were normal and then…

His eyes focused on her as soon as Cisco took the cap off of him and she gasped, "Harry" whereas he simply reached for her, calling her his Snow and they collided, embracing so tightly there was truly no room in between their bodies while the rest of the team watched with big smiles on their faces.

Once Harry let Caitlin go, yet still not before briefly placing his hand on her stomach, happy that, after all, they were going to build the family they both started dreaming about; he moved to Cisco and understood nothing from his friend's technical jargon.

"Wait… you're pulling my leg, aren't you?" Cisco asked, the smile disappearing from his face in an instant.

"No, I'm not. Some circuits must still be fried over here," Harry told him when pointing at his head, yet he didn't seem to care.

"But… no… Marlize said this would work… let me…" Cisco reached for the cap, but Harry stopped him.

"Ramon, it's ok. You brought back what matters."

"But… your intelligence…"

"I don't need it," Wells said in honesty and there was silence in the room. "All I could ever need is waiting for me right here." He walked over to Snow and stood by her side, putting one of his arms around her. "This is all that matters, guys. It's family. I… I don't think I even want to go back to the old me who hated everything and everyone – except you, guys, of course, because you're awesome! – including himself. I don't want to be this conflicted anymore. I don't want to work myself over stupid things that don't matter. I want to have a life for a change and maybe even for _the first time_. If you have me like this, of course," he turned to Snow, suddenly betraying his nervousness.

"Are you kidding me?" she asked him with a frown. "I already told you, you are all I need. Besides, I'm thinking less physics and more feelings is just what I need from you right now. This way we could actually spend more time together."

"Oh, Snow, you've just dug your own grave," Harry joked right then, "because I got nothing but time now to spend with you!"

"At least some things didn't change," Cisco said and they all laughed and then Harry pulled them into one big hug.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Harry asked while they waited for Caitlin's mother.

They'd made the trip to Carla Tannhauser's labs to see her, let her know that they were all right and to say goodbye.

"Yes," Caitlin said in a sure voice. "I mean, Barry said it himself, right? Staying here and working for the team full time will always put us in danger, Harry and I don't want our kids to be raised like this. I want to take my time enjoying life with you and them. In fact, I do want a different job, something that I set off to do at first. Moving to Earth 2 is a perfect idea. I mean, Jesse's there and she's gonna need a little help that does not exactly involve me running around with metas and you can be closer to her this way, too. As you said, family is precious and you, guys, are and will always be my family number one."

"But we will visit here a lot, aren't we?"

"Of course! And often! I'll miss our friends way too much, but I still feel like it's the right thing to do. They have to go their way and we have to go ours. It feels right."

"Yeah and without my intelligence there's really nothing I can do here to actually contribute to the team, so what do you say that you come work for me at mine S.T.A.R. Labs and I just stay at home with the kids?"

"Are you seriously offering to be a stay-at-home daddy, Harrison Wells? Really?" Caitlin wasn't sure whether to laugh since he seemed so serious.

"And what's wrong with that?"

"I'm sorry," they were interrupted by Carla finally making her way to them in the conference room they'd been put in to wait. "I came as soon as I could. You gotta stop doing that. You should always call first, so I…"

"…could work your schedule around to fit us in. Yeah, mom, I know," Caitlin finished for her and the older woman felt a little frustrated at first, but then she just smiled and hugged her daughter.

"I'm so glad that you're all right. That metahuman taking your powers away must've been a lucky strike… Wait, what did I say?"

* * *

"Yes, I miss her," Caitlin just finished telling her mother everything as they all sat down together. She and Harrison had already informed Carla of their moving to Earth 2, but they also promised to visit and Caitlin offered to show her mother that another universe sometime, too. Maybe she could come for summer vacations or Christmas and she most definitely had to come to the wedding.

There was silence once Snow finished talking about Killer Frost and she noticed something strange passing over her mother's face, so she just had to ask about it.

"You know something, don't you? Like the last time we talked… you wanted to say something, but then you changed your mind. What is it, mom? It could really help me understand this more."

Dr. Tannhauser sighed before taking her glasses off and rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Fine," she eventually agreed. "I'm just… I'm afraid that once you hear this, you're going to hate me for not telling you sooner. At first I didn't think this was even relevant to the situation, but the more I thought about it…"

"Mom," Caitlin cut in, by now really nervous and seeking Harry's hand, "please, tell me."

"You were supposed to have a twin, Caitlin," Carla said the very last thing her daughter expected.

"What?"

"In fact, when I got pregnant I _was_ carrying twins."

"I… I don't understand," Caitlin admitted with a frown. "Did she… or he die?"

"Not exactly. You see… the pregnancy was endangered and your father and I worked on a experimental cure. Right before we tried it out, it turned out that the fetus that were you devoured your twin. It's a normal thing and you must realize that as you are a doctor yourself. Sometimes there are two fetuses in the uterus and one simply devours another, therefore you only give birth to an only child."

"So… the experimental drug…?" Harrison hinted. "It could cause the anomaly in Snow's cells?"

"Yes. I supposed it could. The dark matter from the particle accelerator must've woken that part of you up, Caitlin, so Killer Frost was…"

"…my twin sister. If she were the one who survived, _she_ would get ice powers. I never had a split personality or hosted a foreign being. She's been a part of me all along," Caitlin gasped.

"I'm sorry, Caitlin," Carla apologized when reaching for her daughter's free hand. "I truly am. I just… I didn't think I should burden you with this. It's ancient history, nearly insignificant."

"I know, mom, I do," Cait assured her, still surprised when all the pieces of the puzzle finally fitted together. "I'm just glad you told me now. It helped a lot. And yes, I do know that devouring fetus by fetus is actually very common… I just never thought… I just never thought of the actual human being said devoured fetus could be before..."

"It was probably never meant to be, but the drug must've prompted it forward."

* * *

_Few weeks later_

"Man, I miss those two," Cisco said when watching Harrison and Caitlin having their first dance as a married couple. The wedding was on Earth 2 and everyone was happy to make the trip and do some serious sightseeing when not being threaten by Zoom like the last time.

"Yeah, me, too," Barry admitted, sipping on his champagne, "but it had to happen. I told you about that time when I went to the speedforce to save Wally. A speedforce version of Ronnie warned me about disastrous consequences if they stayed with us. Whether it was us almost losing Caitlin to Killer Frost or Harry losing his mind, it was the right decision for them to move here."

"Doesn't mean I don't miss them as hell," Cisco said. "Just don't tell Harry that."

"Oh, dude, he so knows!" Barry chuckled, seeing Iris and Nora making their way to him.

"Wasn't I totally right when I said she could be Allen's daughter from the future?" Wells asked them once the dance came to an end and he came over with his bride.

"You know, it's a good think that you don't have your intelligence anymore," Cisco teased him, "because I actually just remembered the smart-ass Harry and I didn't like that dude at all, to be honest!"

"Well…" Harry started just then and Ramon opened his eyes widely.

"No!" he said, trying not to fall for that. "You do not have your intelligence back! Cait, please, back me up here!"

"Actually…" Caitlin started, beautiful and glowing both because of her pregnancy and the gorgeous dress she was wearing, "we went on vacations when we first moved here and we were just lying on a beach where this motorboat was tagging that banana pontoon designed to topple over and throw people into the water…"

"Your point being?" Cisco frowned. "And God, do I need vacations of my own!"

"My point being," Caitlin began again, glancing sideways at her now husband, "Harry just started off about the velocity of the boat being all wrong and that was when I realized he _was_ slowly getting his intelligence back."

"So Marlize's program did work!" Barry exclaimed in excitement. "It only took time for everything to come back."

"Basically, yes," Harrison agreed.

"That's great, dude!" Cisco called out. "That means you can come back to work with us on our earth, because it's so much cooler when you help us and because of Nora here, we actually have our hands full of…"

"No," Barry said immediately and Cisco shot him an incredulous look.

"Why not?!"

"For starters, your intelligence not coming back at first was my doing," Nora provided with the answer. "I'm sorry I altered the timeline, I really am. I know I screwed up and tried to fix it by saving my dad and I made it all even worse, but it wasn't as though I had a choice… I mean… I just…"

"Let me stop you right there," Harry cut her short. "Nothing you can tell Snow and me matters. We are staying here. With my intelligence back, I will simply run the Labs here again and will be working by the side of my beautiful wife. Still, we did make a vow to each other not to lose this balance we have going right now. It's always family first."

"Good." Nora smiled brightly on hearing that. "Because you know, if you come back to work with team Flash on our Earth _right now_ , you're gonna die."

There was sudden silence as everyone was processing this blatant information. Everyone except Barry and Iris who must've heard it already.

"Nora, seriously, where did you get those big mouth of yours?" Iris chastised her. "Oh, wait, definitely _not_ from me."

"You mean from me?!" Barry got mad.

"I am a reporter! I'm used to protecting my sources!"

"Ok, ok, Allen! West-Allen!" Harry growled whereas Caitlin just started to laugh. "Young West-Allen," he turned to Nora, "it doesn't matter since we are staying right here."

"I kind of still need a consult about getting her back to the future…" Cisco started.

"Not on my wedding day, you don't," Harry shut him down. "By the way, how's my replacement? How's the new Wells's doing?"

**The end –** _**or not the end?** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **First** , I would like to thank everyone for sticking up with me this long. Writing this wouldn't be such a joy without your encouragements and comments, so from the bottom of my heart – **thank you so much!**
> 
>  **Why the decision to end On Point on season 4?** Because I want my babies to be happy and this seems like the way to go. I don't want them to go through more drama and – **most importantly** – I have no idea whether season 5 will even bring something that I can incorporate into the story here (also, I kind of feel like I'm done writing). **I am not saying I won't come back to this in the future**. I had crazier things happen to me, so I may start watching the next season and get inspired half-way through it, but don't hold your breath. Officially, this story is finished.
> 
>  **Anyway, thank you for taking this journey with me once again.** You, guys, have been amazing, leaving me all those wonderful comments and words of encouragement. I have a feeling my version of season 4 is slightly weaker than the others seasons, but I did my best despite not feeling like writing it anymore. I love you!
> 
> See you in the funny pages!


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